It looks like some Pennsylvanians are going to be able to get back to work.

At the same time as the first round of one-time stimulus checks are being direct deposited into citizen's bank accounts, both the state senate and the state Department of Health are making moves toward reopening business safely in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Pennsylvania State Senate passed two bills Wednesday focused on COVID-19 mitigation efforts and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine signed an order outlining measures businesses have to implement to keep essential workers safe and healthy if they are to reopen or stay open.

The first bill, which is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk, would require Wolf to create clear guidelines for businesses to operate during the pandemic. The guidelines would be based on those provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Businesses that are able to operate safely under the new guidelines would be permitted to reopen so long as they comply with the mitigation strategies.

“The initial call to action by the (Wolf) administration was appropriate at that time,” said Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st. “However, as we have found with many issues, Pennsylvania is a very diverse state, as such a 'one size fits all' approach rarely works.”

The second Senate bill, which is heading back to the House for the review of amendments, would give county governments the option to develop and implement individual plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, following approved guidelines. Counties would be given the authority to develop plans to reopen some industries if doing so can happen in a safe manner.

“We are by no means completely abandoning the mitigation steps that are in place. This plague is far from over,” said Sen. Joe Pittman, R-41st. “However, we need to look to the future and establish a recovery process for the Commonwealth. This process should not be dictated from the top down, but rather be a collaborative effort that relies on the expertise of our local officials.”

While one bill heads to the governor and one to the Legislature, an order signed by Levine takes effect at 8 p.m. Sunday and is focused on protections for critical workers employed at businesses already authorized to maintain in-person operations. Among the list of requirements, companies must:

- Provide masks for employees to wear

- Stagger work and start times

- Provide space for breaks and meals, while maintaining a social distance of six feet

- Conduct meetings and trainings virtually

- Prohibit non-essential visitors from entering the premises of the business

- Require customers entering the business to wear masks, minus a few exceptions

- Ensure new procedures are communicated to employees in their native or preferred language

Levine's order goes into a more exhaustive list of requirements including how to respond to possible COVID-19 exposure within the building, cleaning protocols, and requirements for customer facing businesses like altering business hours and occupancy limits. Her full order can be found at https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom.