Gov. Tom Wolf on Saturday extended “aggressive mitigation” efforts underway in Montgomery and Delaware counties to Bucks County.
While essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and health care facilities will stay open, non-essential retail businesses are being asked to close for 14 days to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Also closing are licensed child care centers, adult day cares, community centers, entertainment venues, shopping malls, and other public spaces.
Specifically, the governor said the following types of businesses should temporarily cease regular operations:
- Community and recreation centers
- Gyms, including yoga/spin/barre facilities
- Hair salons, nail salons, and spas
- Casinos, concert venues, and theaters
- Bars
- Sporting events facilities and golf courses
- Non-essential retail facilities, including shopping malls (except for pharmacy or other health care facilities located therein)
- Liquor stores will begin an orderly closure. Individuals can still buy wine and beer at grocery stores with PLCB licenses
- Restaurants should stay open for carry-out and delivery only
The Fine Wines & Good Spirits at Logan Square in New Hope will close Monday at 9 p.m.
“We all need to do our part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Wolf said. “The time to do this is now. We cannot wait.”
The governor also asked residents to avoid non-essential travel. A no visitor policy has been implemented for correctional facilities, as well as state-run and county-owned nursing homes, and will be evaluated for other facilities.
“I strongly encourage the statewide suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more and discourage people from traveling to recreational activities such as gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls,” he said.
Chester County was also placed under the social distancing mandate on Saturday.
Bucks County currently has three COVID-19 cases, and officials say they were not community spread.
Wolf on Friday ordered all schools in Pennsylvania to close for two weeks, beginning Monday.
Thanks Gov Wolf for taking action. We need to keep our wits about us, and do the right thing – right now. That will ease the situation long term for everyone. We have less hospital beds that Italy per capita, and we don’t want to end up triaging ventilators.