Gov. Tom Wolf mandated closure on March 15 of all bars and sit-in restaurants under Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 disaster declaration order, following a similar order announced Friday calling for the shutdown of statewide schools and nonessential businesses in the wake of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.
The state-mandated shutdowns will be in place for the next two weeks in an attempt to slow the state’s progression of COVID-19, particularly in the four most-impacted regions: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin, in consultation with the Department of Health, sent a letter to affected businesses, providing guidance at that time.
“We are committed to keeping all Pennsylvanians safe and healthy, and we are taking every measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Davin said. “We continue to report new cases of coronavirus every day, and additional steps must be taken to stop the spread. Therefore, we strongly urge non-essential businesses across Pennsylvania to do their part by temporarily closing to help mitigate the spread of this contagious virus.”
Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce President Gene Barr said, “I have been working with the U.S. Chamber and local chambers of commerce to provide advice to our members and I want them to know that it’s time to be flexible. Businesses’ most important assets are their customers and their employees, and they need to be flexible to be sure they are protecting them.”
There are currently more than 3,400 cases reported in the United States, with a Pennsylvania state total at 76. President Trump declared a nationwide state of emergency on March 13.
Government and health officials are emphasizing the importance of social distancing, a term used to describe deliberate social separation efforts to mitigate the spread of a contagious disease.