By the Numbers:

Pennsylvania

• 268 confirmed cases, 2,574 tested negative, Deaths 1

Cases by county in the 10-county region per Pennsylvania Department of Health
* case count last updated at 12:00 p.m. on 3/20/2020

State Updates

• PA CHAMBER, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA AND GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR’S COVID-19 EMERGENCY ORDER TO CLOSE “NON-LIFE-SUSTAINING” BUSINESSES – https://www.pachamber.org/media/3040/Joint_Statement_on_Governors_COVID19_order_03202020/
• Late yesterday, Governor Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of 8 pm on March 19. Enforcement actions against businesses that do not close physical locations will begin at 12:01 am on Saturday, March 21. The list of what is considered a life-sustaining business is here. If a business has questions regarding whether or not they are considered to be a “life-sustaining” business. The Department of Community and Economic Development has set up two e-mails regarding this issue. We encourage employers with questions about whether their organization needs to close to contact DCED at ra-dcedcs@pa.gov. The Department has also dedicated the following e-mail, RA-dcexemption@pa.gov, for businesses seeking an exemption to the order.
• The PA Department of Education announced on March 19 that they will be cancelling all PSSA testing and Keystone exams for the 2019-20 school year as a result of COVID-19. This includes the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA). PSSA testing was scheduled to begin April 20 and Keystone testing was scheduled to begin May 11.  The PASA testing window is open; however, all testing was halted on Monday, March 16, when all public schools closed. The department has been providing ongoing guidance to school communities in the form of FAQs. The guidance information is available at www.education.pa.gov/COVID19.
• The PA Department of Banking and Securities collaborated with other state agencies to develop resources available for Pennsylvanians financially impacted by COVID-19. The resources, which include links for help with unemployment compensation, emergency loans and utility bills – just to name a few, are available here.
• The PA Department of Transportation and the PA Turnpike Commission have also created resource pages with FAQs and details on their department updates and changes.
• Speaker Turzai announced that the PA House will be in voting session on Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25. Session for these days will start at 11:00 am. March 23 will remain a non-voting session date. The Senate remains in recess until the call of the President Pro Tempore.

Regional Coronavirus Update

City of Pittsburgh

• Mayor Bill Peduto is in self-quarantine after attending a conference last week in Washington, DC where two of his colleagues contracted COVID-19. The mayor has no symptoms. The Mayor is in our region’s thoughts and we wish him the best.
• The city’s first responders won’t be notified if they are exposed to a person later testing positive for COVID-19, and Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said the situation poses a potential public health risk as we rely on them to keep the public safe. If their health and their families’ health is not protected, it diminishes their ability to protect and serve the community.
• Pittsburgh Public Schools has alerted families with students at Brashear, Carrick, Oliver and South Hills about the potential indirect exposure of three PPS students and one staff member to a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Allegheny County

• There are 28 confirmed COVID-19 cases, some patients acquired COVID-19 through community spread.

Federal Coronavirus Update:

• White House
  • President Trump suspends student loan payments for at least 60 days without penalty.
  • President Trump allows states to waive K-12 tests

• Internal Revenue Service
  • The IRS has extended the tax filing deadline from April 15^th to July 15

• United States Senate
  • Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr is being investigated as he and his wife sold $1.7 million in stock (33 transactions) last month ahead of the market decline that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Department of State
  • U.S., Mexico partially close border, and the State Department further defines essential travel between the U.S. and Canada.

Joint Press Release Issued today by the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia

For more information, contact
Tricia Harris, PA Chamber of Business and Industry
717 720-5447
Liz Ferry, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
215 790-3794
Cecelia Cagni, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce
412 281-4783 ext.3110

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2020

PA Chamber, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Issue Joint Statement on Governor’s COVID-19 Emergency Order to Close “Non-Life-Sustaining” Businesses

HARRISBURG – Late yesterday, Gov. Tom Wolf issued an order for all “non-life-sustaining businesses” in the Commonwealth to close their physical locations. A list of businesses and industries and their classification can be found here. That order was effective at 8 p.m. last evening with enforcement slated to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 21. At the same time, the governor announced enforcement actions against food and liquor establishments that have failed to comply with a previous order. That enforcement began at 8 p.m. last night (March 19). PA Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia President and CEO Rob Wonderling and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce President Matt Smith issued the following joint statement regarding the governor’s order.
“While we understand the need for strong measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many of the industries listed as “non-life-sustaining businesses” in the governor’s order are in fact part of the supply chain for other businesses listed as being a “life-sustaining” business.

“We understand that there may be confusion among the state’s business community regarding whether or not they are considered to be a “life-sustaining” business. The Department of Community and Economic Development has set up two e-mails regarding this issue. We encourage employers with questions about whether their organization needs to close to contact DCED at ra-dcedcs@pa.gov. The Department has also dedicated the following e-mail, RA-dcexemption@pa.gov, for businesses seeking an exemption to the order.

“We are working with the administration to seek further clarification and modification of the order and will be providing updates to the state’s broad-based business community as we receive them. Updates will be posted on the PA Chamber’s website, www.PAChamber.org.”

# # #

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state’s largest broad-based business association, with its statewide membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of Business™.

*NEW* Any business that would like to seek a waiver utilize this email address: RA-dcexemption@pa.gov.
*NEW* If a business is uncertain if they are included in the order or have specific questions about requirements, please contact the Administration with questions: ra-dcedcs@pa.gov.

URGENT UPDATE
The Governor has ordered all businesses except for those considered life-critical to close at 8 p.m. tonight. For those that do not, the state will begin to take enforcement actions this Saturday, March 21st, at 12:01am.

The Governor’s video statement can be seen here. Related documents are linked below:

Order of the Governor Regarding Closure of All Businesses That are Not Life-Sustaining
Order of the Secretary of Health Regarding Closure of All Businesses That Are Not Life-Sustaining
State Listing of Businesses with Guidance on Whether They May Continue Physical Operations