Gov. Tom Wolf has taken a step-by-step approach to issuing orders to stem the coronavirus spread in Pennsylvania, first closing schools, then shuttering nonessential businesses and issuing stay-at-home orders for individual counties.

That all changed Wednesday afternoon.

Facing nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases since the weekend, the governor extended his stay-at-home order to the entire state, bringing all 67 counties under the unprecedented step to slow the virus' growth.

“This virus is spreading rapidly,” Wolf said. “It's in every corner of our state.”

Pennsylvania is one of the last states in the U.S. to issue a statewide stay-at-home order. All states in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the nation issued similar orders before Pennsylvania. West Virginia, the last state bordering the commonwealth in which such an order became effective, has been staying at home since 8 p.m. March 24, more than a week before Pennsylvania issued its own order.

While Butler County has been under Wolf's order, which is in effect through April 30, since last week, more than half the counties in the state have not been, including neighboring Armstrong, Clarion, Mercer, Lawrence and Venango counties. The 34 counties added to Wolf's mandate represent roughly 2 million residents, or 15 percent of the commonwealth's population.

Separate mandates ordering the closure of schools and businesses the governor considers non-life-sustaining have also been extended, keeping those doors closed indefinitely.

Under the order, residents are not permitted to leave home unless they are exercising outdoors, going to work at an essential business, buying goods or receiving services from such a business, or caring for somebody in a different household.

As of noon Wednesday, Pennsylvania has seen 5,805 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 47 deaths in those with the illness. Butler County has 64 confirmed cases, and two people with COVID-19 died. More than 600 patients statewide required hospitalization due to the illness, representing about 10 percent of all confirmed cases.

Wolf said this extraordinary measure is necessary to reduce not only the virus' growth but its death toll as well.

“If we don't do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19, there are some people that you will never see again,” he said.

He added that in counties with a stay-at-home order already in place there has been widespread voluntary compliance with the orders. Wolf said he expects that to continue “because they know it's the right thing to do,” adding how he has directed state police to focus on ensuring businesses comply with the state-mandated closures.

Both Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said they understand the difficulty of complying with the order, but said it's the only way to slow the rapidly increasing spread of COVID-19.

“This next month will be difficult, but we Pennsylvanians are strong,” Wolf said. “We will get through this together.”