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An update on COVID-19 actions by the PA Legislature and Wolf administration
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Gov. Wolf Publishes Guidance on Businesses Permitted to Operate in the Yellow Phase beginning May 8
Gov. Tom Wolf published guidance on businesses permitted to operate in the yellow phase beginning May 8. Those businesses include: specific businesses statewide already in operation, because of life-essential status or because of a waiver exemption from DCED; specific businesses deemed life-essential statewide in this spreadsheet, as well as the subsequent amendments allowing construction, vehicle dealerships and real estate industry operations, and all businesses, except those with operations that fall within the restricted list below, in these 24 counties: Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango and Warren.
Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions
- Telework Must Continue Where Feasible
- Businesses with In-Person Operations Must Follow Business and Building Safety Orders
- Child Care Open Complying with Guidance
- Congregate Care and Prison Restrictions in Place
- Schools Remain Closed for In-Person Instruction
Social Restrictions
- Stay-at-Home Order Lifted for Aggressive Mitigation
- Large Gatherings of More than 25 Prohibited
- In-Person Retail Allowable, Curbside and Delivery Preferable
- Indoor Recreation, Health and Wellness Facilities and Personal Care Services (such as gyms, spas, hair salons, nail salons and other entities that provide massage therapy), and All Entertainment (such as casinos, theaters) Remain Closed
- Restaurants and Bars Limited to Carryout and Delivery Only
All businesses, including those already in operation are required to adhere to the updated health and safety business operation requirements here (May 4) as well as the previously issued orders linked below. Adherence is required until the county enters the green phase.
The precautions that businesses must implement are more fully outlined in the following documents:
1.) Order of the secretary of health providing for building safety measures, issued April 5, 2020
2.) Order of the secretary of health providing for business safety measures (to keep employees and customers safe), issued April 15, 2020
3.) Guidance issued by the Department of Health to the construction industry, issued April 19, 2020
4.) Guidance issued by the Department of State to the real estate industry, reissued April 28, 2020
5.) Guidance issued by the governor regarding vehicle transactions, issued April 20, 2020
6.) Other future applicable Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance
Gov. Wolf Announces Additional Counties Moving to the Yellow Phase
Today, Gov. Tom Wolf announced 13 Pennsylvania counties will move to the yellow phase of reopening at 12:01 a.m. Friday, May 15. Those counties are Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland. Gov. Wolf reminded residents and business owners that yellow means caution and that everyone needs to be mindful of their actions and how they affect not only themselves but their families, friends and community.
Gov. Wolf, Sec. of Health Take Actions on Red Phase Stay-at-Home Orders
With the April 1 statewide stay-at-home orders set to expire, Gov.Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine extended the orders for all counties in red, and signed new orders for the 24 counties moving to yellow.
The extended stay-at-home order remains the same as the original statewide stay-at-home order announced on April 1, which was set to expire May 7 at midnight and is now extended to June 4. For more information, see the news release here.
Gov. Wolf Signs Executive Order to Provide Civil Immunity for Health Care Providers
Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order to afford health care practitioners protection against liability for good faith actions taken in response to the call to supplement the health care provider workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the course of the pandemic and the disaster declaration associated with it, the Wolf administration has used its authority under the declaration to suspend a significant number of regulations and regulatory statutes to supplement the health care workforce, including facilitating the deployment of retirees and out-of-state health care professionals, expanding scopes of practice and relaxing supervision requirements for numerous health care licensees, bringing in health care professionals who have not previously maintained liability coverage, and calling upon health care providers to perform acts they would not perform in the ordinary course of business.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic has required the Wolf administration to take broad action to respond to and prepare for Pennsylvanians’ critical health care needs, so too has it required our health care providers to broaden their professional responsibilities and experiences like never before,” Gov. Wolf said. “This Executive Order to Enhance Protections for Health Care Professionals serves to protect the individuals serving on the front lines of the disaster response.”
For more information, see the news release here.
Gov. Wolf: Free N95 Decontamination System for Health Care Facilities, First Responders Now Available
Gov. Tom Wolf announced the availability of a program to provide free N95 respirator decontamination to health care facilities, first responders and other eligible organizations that may be experiencing a shortage of the respirators due to limited availability through normal procurement channels.
The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators as needed during a time of crisis. The system uses a vaporous hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate the units.
A single Battelle CCDS site can decontaminate tens of thousands of N95s in a single day. The decontamination process permits the reuse of N95s, and each N95 can be decontaminated up to 20 times before it requires disposal. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is funding the operation of multiple Battelle CCDS sites across the country, with one located in Delaware County.
An eligible organization that wishes to use the system for N95 decontamination must register and enter into a use agreement with Battelle, at which time they will receive additional guidance regarding the types of N95s that are allowed and instructions for shipping and delivery. The service is available free of charge for use by eligible organizations – the federal government is absorbing 100% of the cost. The only cost to an eligible organization is for shipping to and from the site. For more information, see the news release here.
Case Number Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 8, that there are 1,323 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 54,238. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
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Image Source: Gov. Wolf Press Office
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PA Legislative Recap Week of May 4
The House was in session the week of May 4 to consider COVID-related legislation which included various Administrative Code bills, business reopening waivers, Right-to-Know, virus testing, permit tracking, health insurance and health care practitioner protections.
The Senate held hearings on the COVID-19 crisis and will continue to do so over the next several weeks. For more information on hearings, see the PA Senate website. The Senate met briefly on May 6 to sign bills.
Week of May 11
The House has canceled session for May 11-13 and remains at the 12-hour call of the chair. The House has added May 18-20, 26 and 27 as session days. The Senate has added May 11-13 as voting session days and stands at the call of the president pro temp. For more information on the session schedule, see the legislature's website.
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