PA Coronavirus: Stay-At-Home Extended, Schools Shut Indefinitely
This article originally appeared on the Doylestown Patch
HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf has pushed back the stay-at-home order in 26 Pennsylvania counties through April 30 to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus.
Additionally, the closure of Pennsylvania's schools and nonessential businesses are closed indefinitely and will only reopen when it is deemed safe, Wolf said.
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Wolf on Monday added four counties to those on the stay-at-home order list. Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin and Schuylkill counties join the 22 others that are under the order.
The news comes as nearly 700 new cases were reported Monday in the state, and Pennsylvania's death toll from COVID-19 reached 48. The state now has 4,087 cases of the virus in 59 counties.
The governor acknowledged the difficult nature of the situation and said he understands the challenge residents are facing.
"We humans are built to want to work, learn, to socialize," he said. "It's hard to be confined to one place. But if we want to save lives, we must continue to distance ourselves from others."
The order now includes these 26 counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and York counties.
Under the stay-at-home order, people can only leave their home for essential tasks, such as to buy food and pharmaceuticals. Residents can participate in individual exercise, such as taking a walk, but should stay at least 6 feet apart from anyone they encounter. Learn more: Here's What You Can Do During PA's 'Stay At Home' Order
As of Monday afternoon, there were more than 153,200 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the United States, with more than 2,820 deaths and more than 5,540 recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University.
President Donald Trump on Sunday extended the nation's social distancing guidelines through April 30.
