Allegheny County ordered to stop dine-in service at restaurants and bars

Gov. Tom Wolf on Sunday ordered Allegheny County bars and restaurants to stop dine-in service for 14 days to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, came on the same night Allegheny County officials urged all non-essential businesses to close for at least two weeks.

“Ensuring the health and safety of Pennsylvanians is the highest priority as the state grapples with a growing number of confirmed cases of covid-19, and as the virus continues to spread, it is in the best interest of the public to encourage social distancing by closing restaurants and bars temporarily,” Wolf said.

Business that offer carry-out, delivery and drive-through can continue to operate those services, according to the governor’s order, but dine-in services must be discontinued.

Allegheny County was among four other Pennsylvania counties in the governor’s bar and restaurant order: Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery. Montgomery County has been the hardest hit in the state, with 24 covid-19 cases as of Sunday afternoon, according to the state health department.

Businesses that do not adhere to the governor’s mandate could face legal action.

The governor’s order came about an hour after Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen issued a video statement urging all non-essential county businesses to close.

“This is an unprecedented time in our community,” Fitzgerald said. “Our region has always been at its best when we work together, and this challenge is no exception. We need everyone to step up and play a part in slowing the spread of covid-19 in our region.”

Shortly after the county’s announcement, the City of Pittsburgh issued a ban on public gatherings of more than 50 people in accordance with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation made earlier in the day. Mayor Bill Peduto had declared a state of emergency for the city Friday, which originally limited gatherings to 250.

Four cases of the disease have been confirmed in Allegheny County as of Sunday, but as testing increases, the health department expects more to be identified.

“Given the contagiousness of this virus, we know that it will not slow down on its own until it has infected most people in every community,” Bogen said. “The best hope we have for averting this catastrophic outcome is to take aggressive action to dramatically slow down the spread of the virus in our community.”

The goal, officials said, is to emphasize and increase social distancing, especially in areas of large gatherings — community centers, bars, casinos, and social clubs.

“We need to come together but we need to come together by staying apart,” Fitzgerald said.

Today, the CDC recommended the cancellation of in-person events of 50 or more people. The city of Pittsburgh will adhere their advice. As of Monday at 900AM, Occupancy for all events in the city will be lowered from 250 to 50. Official Press release within minutes. https://t.co/0Ti1V0LCR1

— bill peduto (@billpeduto) March 16, 2020

The county business closure recommendation does not apply to supermarkets, pharmacies or gas stations. As with the governor’s order, the county asked restaurants to limit services to carry-out and delivery only. Churches and other religious institutions are asked to avoid social gatherings but to continue supporting the community.

Allegheny County officials defined non-essential businesses to include: child care and senior centers, community and recreation centers, gyms and similar facilities, hair salons, nail salons and spas, casinos, bars, concert venues, theaters, some retail, social clubs, sports facilities and more.

The state’s orders follow similar declarations the governors of Ohio and Illinois and the mayor of Los Angeles.