Wolf offers more guidelines for businesses about to reopen
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Gov. Tom Wolf has released more guidance for businesses and nonprofits to follow once their counties have moved into the yellow phase and they’re able to reopen.
This Friday, 24 counties in the northwest and north-central regions of Pennsylvania will move from red to yellow status. Some businesses will reopen, but there are procedures they’ll be required to follow.
The guidance is based on building safety and business safety orders, under which nearly all life-sustaining businesses have been operating during the red phase.
“Businesses in the 24 counties that may reopen beginning May 8 must take precautions to protect their employees, their employees’ families and their communities,” Wolf said. “First and foremost, businesses that have been operating using telework must continue to do so to prevent the spreading of COVID-19 until the stay-at-home and business closure orders are fully lifted when we enter a ‘green’ phase.”
Under the yellow phase, all businesses, except those categories specifically listed as remaining closed in the governor’s Plan to Reopen Pennsylvania, are permitted to conduct in-person operations as long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance.
The guidance includes specific information on cleaning and disinfecting premises, limiting the number of employees in common areas and customers on premises, providing masks and sanitizing supplies for employees, installing shields or other barriers at registers and checkout areas to physically separate cashiers and customers and creating a plan in case a business is exposed to a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.
There have now been 50,092 cases of coronavirus in the state, including 825 new cases since Sunday. Fourteen new deaths have been reported, for a total of 2,458 fatalities due to the virus.
Allegheny County now has 1,365 cases, an increase of 20 patients. There were no new deaths reported, so the total remains at 102.
“For full transparency, the reporting of no additional deaths today and yesterday may be due to a delay in reporting for the weekend,” the Allegheny County Health Department stated in a press release Monday. “ACHD reports data as soon as it is received, but is uncertain at this time whether deaths have occurred this weekend but have not yet been reported.”
In Fayette County, there were no changes. There have been 83 cases and four deaths.
Washington County added one new case for a total of 120 patients, and the county has reported no new deaths. There have been two fatalities.
Westmoreland County added two new cases for a total of 403. According to the DOH, there were no additional deaths and the total remains at 26. Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha reports one new death, and the total he is tracking is now at 31.
