Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of 8 p.m. today to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Enforcement actions against businesses that don’t comply will begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 21, according to the governor’s office.

The order, effective immediately and to remain in effect until further notice, states:

“No person or entity shall operate a place of business in the Commonwealth that is not a life sustaining business regardless of whether the business is open to members of the public. This prohibition does not apply to virtual or telework operations (e.g., work from home), so long as social distancing and other mitigation measures are followed in such operations.”

“Life sustaining businesses may remain open, but they must follow, at a minimum, the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures defined by the Centers for Disease Control to protect workers and patrons.”

In extenuating circumstances, special exemptions will be granted to businesses that are supplying or servicing health care providers.

Food establishments that do carry-out, delivery and drive-through service can continue so long as measures are put in place to keep patrons and workers safe.

A list of what are and are not life-sustaining businesses can be found below:

“To protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians, we need to take more aggressive mitigation actions,” said Wolf. “This virus is an invisible danger that could be present everywhere. We need to act with the strength we use against any other severe threat. And, we need to act now before the illness spreads more widely.”

The governor has directed the following state agencies and local officials to enforce the closure orders to the full extent of the law:

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Department of Health

Department of Agriculture

Pennsylvania State Police

Local officials, using their resources to enforce closure orders within their jurisdictions

Non-compliant businesses or groups that fail or refuse to comply with the order will forfeit their ability to receive any applicable disaster relief and could be subject to other administrative action, according to the governor’s office. That action could include citations, fines, or license suspensions.

In addition, the Department of Health is authorized to prosecute those who fail to comply with health laws, including quarantine, isolation or other disease control measures. Violators are subject to fines or imprisonment.

READ MORE:

The Department of Community and Economic Development is offering loans to aid businesses impacted by the coronavirus. A list of resources will be posted to the DCED website as they become available. Gov. Wolf’s administration also announced the availability of small-business loans for all of Pennsylvania via the U.S. Small Business Administration.

(You can find more information about the small-business loans and how to apply by clicking here.)

Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the DCED at ra-dcedcs@pa.gov or 1-877-PA-HEALTH, select option 1.

The governor had previously encouraged non-life-sustaining businesses to close to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants and bars were already required to stop all dine-in services.

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