State issues new virus advisories
Gov. Tom Wolf and state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine issued a new slew of orders, advisories and recommendations Monday, including a stay-at-home advisory heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.
“This stay-at-home advisory is not a shutdown order,” Levine said. “You're much safer at home.”
Both Levine and Wolf said the advisory, which mirrors one issued by the Allegheny County Health Department last week, calls for people to stay home as much as possible, including celebrating the holiday with only those in their household.
Levine said any visits with friends, extended family and neighbors puts people unnecessarily at risk.
“It puts your entire household at risk,” she said. “Our collective responsibility continues to be to protect our communities, our health care workers and our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians from COVID-19. That has not changed.”
The holidays were again the focus of one specialized mitigation tactic, folded into an updated order on business operations during the pandemic.
By order of the governor and the Department of Health, bars, restaurants and other businesses selling alcohol in-person must stop those sales by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Wolf said the biggest day for drinking is the day before Thanksgiving, which could add to spreading the virus further.
“I don't like addressing that anymore than anybody else does, but it's a fact,” Wolf said. “Let's forgo that, just one time, and if we do that and all these other things, we can get back to life as we want it and can go to bars any time we want.”
The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association released a statement Monday regarding the measure with a message of understanding and compliance, but also a warning of further harm to the industry.
“Help is needed now, not later,” the statement said. “Many small businesses cannot sustain continued targeted mitigation without help from either the federal or state government.”
Wolf said he has supported and advocated for that type of financial relief, but for now the focus needs to remain on the current surge that has plagued the nation.
“We've got to recognize that as tough as that is, it's even tougher if people die,” he said.
Illustrating that point, Nicole Faraguna was invited to speak at Monday's news conference on behalf of her family, having lost her father-in-law to COVID-19.
“Our loss and pain is real,” Faraguna said. “I wish people would have heeded the warning because maybe Jack would still be here.”
In the past year, similar orders have been put in place, but they were loosely enforced. According to Monday's announcement, state officials plan to bolster enforcement, the burden of which will be placed on the businesses themselves.Businesses could be reprimanded with citations, fines and further disciplinary actions for repeat offenders.“Orders announced today will be enforced,” Levine said.The governor's office and the Department of Health issued four matching measures, including Mitigation, Enforcement and Immunity Order; Retail Food Services Mitigation Order; Public School Attestation; and Stay at Home Advisory.Also, Levine issued one additional order regarding elective procedures.All of the orders are available to the public on the website of their respective issuers.
Further expanding on businesses, the orders establish a new requirement for telework for employees — “unless impossible” — and continue to encourage online sales, delivery options and curbside pickup.Employers will also find requirements on area cleaning, contact tracing and quarantine as well as others. The orders also continue to set limits for capacity on specific businesses.General businesses will be allowed to operate at 75% capacity, while bars and restaurants will have to maintain an indoor seating capacity of 25% as allowed by fire code. Other specifically noted businesses, such as gyms, personal care services and entertainment venues are limited to 50% capacity.Businesses and other entities are operating with new limits on events attendance based on the venue's occupancy limits. For any venue with capacity for 10,000 people or more, indoor events will be limited to 500 people and outdoor events to 2,500 people maximum.Smaller venues also have new limits. A chart is available in the state order for reference.
Districts have been offered control over their own situations with many instituting plans and procedures based on levels of community spread.Over the past few weeks, every school in the county has had some level of change, closure or a case involving COVID-19.Monday's order would require any preschool through 12th grade public school in the 59 counties, including Butler County, that has had substantial transmission levels for the past two consecutive weeks to commit to safety measures.By 5 p.m. Nov. 30, chief school administrators and the governing body president/chair must sign an attestation form stating they have either transitioned to fully remote learning or are complying with the orders if they are conducting any in-person instruction.“All of us have a responsibility to slow the spread of this virus, so our children can stay or return to the classroom,” Wolf said.
Many of the orders are meant to protect the hospitals from being overrun as hospitalizations statewide are continuing to climb.On Monday, Levine called for the “rapid reduction” of elective procedures in health care systems statewide that are especially struggling.A struggling hospital would meet two of three listed criteria, including staffing shortages, COVID-19 surge or inadequate bed availability. If a hospital meets these requirements, it would be issued a reduction notice by the department, which will go into effect seven days later.Nov. 30 would be the earliest a hospital could see reductions.“We are in a very dangerous situation, and we need to work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 right now because if we give in to the virus, we will lose many more Pennsylvanians,” Wolf said. “And that is unacceptable.”
