Recovery Resources: How PA’s new pandemic rules affect business

Companies that had brought some employees back but are able to operate remotely are among those being pressured to use telework under Pennsylvania’s newest coronavirus restrictions order. It is not clear, however, that there will be enforcement action for companies that do not comply.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced Monday new measures to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus that affect businesses, schools, households and local governments.

The new rules also impact retailers and restaurants, although they do not roll back the regulation that allow restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity. Restaurants, bars and caterers must end the sale of alcohol for on-site consumption at 5 p.m. on Nov. 25, the evening before Thanksgiving. Restaurants may continue to serve food, although they are encouraged to offer take-out dining.

The Wolf administration said the measures were necessary due to modeling that predicts 22,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day in Pennsylvania in December. The number of deaths in the state attributable to COVID-19 have quadrupled in the past week and the average daily COVID case count is reaching levels seven times higher than two months ago.

The measures require businesses to make remote work mandatory unless doing so is impossible; encourage online sales and curbside pickup for all shopping; and continue to follow previous cleaning and social distancing requirements. Businesses that maintain in-person operations and are open to the public have been granted immunity from civil liability for requiring their customers to wear masks.

The number of people permitted at indoor and outdoor events is reduced, with the exact number based on the capacity of the location where the events are held. Individuals are advised against holding gatherings that include people from outside their household.

The state Department of Health has provided recommendations to county and municipal leaders. Counties and municipalities may implement their own orders, ordinances or directives to protect their residents’ health and safety as long as those measures are stricter than the ones mandated by the state.

Chester County said its health department continues to watch COVID-19 data closely but isn’t announcing new restrictions at the moment. County officials are asking residents to continue wearing masks, socially distance and wash their hands.

The Delaware County Council voted 4-1 at its Nov. 18 meeting to pass a resolution asking Gov. Wolf and the Department of Health to enact additional COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including requiring patrons to wear masks at food establishments except when they’re eating or drinking; limiting to four the number of people that can sit at a dining table at a food establishment; and limiting inside gatherings to 10 people or less.

Under the new state orders, Pre-K-to-12 public schools in counties that have been in the substantial transmission level for at least two consecutive weeks must commit to safety measures to ensure the safety and well-being of their students, teachers and other personnel. Schools in those counties, which include Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, can choose not to commit to those measures, but they then must move to fully remote learning and eliminate extracurricular activities. The chief administrators and heads of the governing bodies of schools in those counties have until 5 p.m. Nov. 30 to sign a form saying they are following the measures or have transitioned to remote learning.

The state will step up its enforcement of its COVID-19 orders governing business safety, restaurant mitigation, gathering limits, school attestation and mitigation, out-of-state travel and mask-wearing. State law enforcement and other agencies are being ordered to issue citations and fines to violators of the orders and possibly taking regulatory actions against repeat offenders.

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