HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) — According to Pennsylvania State Representative Donna Oberlander, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has pushed back the enforcement of his order to close the physical location all non-life-sustaining business until 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 23.List of life-sustaining and non-life-sustaining businesses (as of March 20)
Enforcement of his March 19 order was originally supposed to take place starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, but because of the high number of requests for waivers, that enforcement will now not start until Monday morning, Oberlander said.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Franklin-based State Police said they had not heard anything from the Commonwealth on how the order was to be enforced. In his original order on March 19, Wolf outlined a number of different enforcement methods including regulator agencies, the state police, and local municipalities.
Businesses that have the capabilities to conduct business remotely are still allowed to operate.
Those businesses requesting clarification on whether they are defined as life-sustaining should check this list, email the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) customer service resource account at [email protected], or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH and select option 1 to reach DCED staff. For businesses that determine from the list that they are non-life sustaining, but would like to seek a waiver, there is an online waiver application.
When a business completes a waiver form, a team of professionals at DCED will review each request and respond based on the guiding principle of balancing public safety while ensuring the continued delivery of critical infrastructure services and functions. Those requesting a waiver will be notified via email if their operations may re-open. Businesses applying for a waiver must remain closed until a decision is made about their application.
DCED offers working capital loans that could be of assistance to businesses impacted by COVID-19. Resources and information will be posted to https://dced.pa.gov/resources as they become available. Yesterday, Governor Wolf announced the availability of low-interest loans for small businesses and eligible non-profits in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
