Gov. Tom Wolf orders all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close physical locations to slow coronavirus spread WGAL News 8 coronavirus updates Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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ORDERED AULD NONLIFE THREATENING BUSINESSES TO CLOSE AT 8:00p.m. TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME E LAST EVENING I ANNOUNCED WE LOST THE FIRST OF WHAT WILL BE MANY PENNSYLVANIANS TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS, I ONCE AGAIN ASK EVERYONE TO DO THEIR PART TO HELP HALT THE SPREAD OF THE DANGEROUS ILLNESS. MANY HAVE, WE STILL NEED TO DO MORE. EARLIER THIS WEEK, I MANDATED ALL RESTAURANTS AND BARS CLOSE THEIR DINE-IN FACILITIES, AND OFFER ONLY TO GO OPTIONS. AND I ASKED ALL NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES TO CLOSE. I HAD HOPED FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE SO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS COULD FOCUS ON ASSISTING WITH THE CRISIS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT SEEN FULL COMPLIANCE, WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE. WITH EVERY MINUTE THAT PASSES, MORE PENNSYLVANIANS COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE COVID-19 VIRUS. THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IS INCREASING, AT AN EXPONENTIAL PACE. WE CANNOT ALLOW THE VIRUS TO OVERWHILE M THE HOSPITALS. YES, WE BEGAN TO ENFORCE MANDATORY CLOSURES OF RESTAURANTS, BARS AND WILL EXTEND TO NONLIFE CRITICAL BUSINESSES. I HAVE HEARD FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND WORKERS THAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL REPERCUSSIONS OF A CLOSURE. I'M AWARE OF THAT, AND MY ADMINISTRATION IS ALREADY WORKING EVERY CHANNEL TO FIND WAYS TO SPOR BUSINESSES AND -- SUPPORT BUSINESSES AND WORKERS. BUT BEFORE WE CAN SAVE LIVELIHOODS, WE MUST SAVE LIVES, I'LL BE WORKING WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS, FOR OTHERS TO ENFORCE MANDATORY CLOSURES, WE'LL USE EVERY TOOL POSSIBLE TO ENSURE WE ARE MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. RESTAURANTS AND BARS MUST CEASE ACTIVITIES, OR FACE FINES OR LICENCE. THE BOARD BEGAN ENFORCEMENT OF RULES YESTERDAY. OTHER NONLIFE CRITICAL BUSINESSES ARE TO CEASE OPERATIONS OF THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATIONS BY 8:00p.m. TONIGHT. ENFORCEMENT TO BEGIN ON SATURDAY. THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HALT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. IT'S NOW TIME FOR EVERY BUSINESS TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THE PRINCESS KATE PROCEDURES. -- OPERATING PROCEDURES. ALL BUSINESSES THAT CAN OPERATE WITHOUT A PHYSICAL LOCATION TO BEGIN DOING SO. IF YOUR BUSINESS MISSION IS NOT LIFE CRITICAL, YOU SHOULD WORK REMOTELY. MY ADMINISTRATION IS WASHING WITH PARTNERS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ENFORCEMENT PLANS, THE LEADERS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. AND UNDERSTANDING. AND I THING THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE AS WELL AS THE SERVICE OF THE OFFICERS WHO WILL BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. TO THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE ALREADY COMPLIED. I EXTEND TO YOU MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE COOPERATION OF EVERYONE ELSE. BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. ULTIMATELY SAVING LIVES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE A