Mar. 20, 2020 — The Pennsylvania governor’s office issued a list Thursday of businesses that must close their physical operations and those that are allowed to remain open.
We weren't certain at first, but fortunately, the Pennsylvania health department confirmed to Contracting Business by phone that HVAC service and installation is classified as life-sustaining/essential.
Those businesses that must close by midnight Saturday, March 21, include construction, myriad categories of manufacturing, specialty contractors, car dealers, lawn and garden stores, specialty food stores, and furniture stores. Legal, accounting, architectural and tax services are also included. Interstate rest areas and DOT construction projects were shutdown earlier this week. Restaurants may continue to sell food via takeout orders only.
“To protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians, we need to take more aggressive mitigation actions,” Wolf said in a statement. “This virus is an invisible danger that could be present everywhere. We need to act with the strength we use against any other severe threat. And, we need to act now before the illness spreads more widely.”
The order takes effect immediately and will remain in place “until further notice.”
In the Pennsylvania state legislature, senate Republicans are seeking an appeals process for some businesses.
"The sprawling and confusing list provided by the Governor is provided with no explanation and we will explore all avenues available to us to determine whether the action he's taken is allowed within our state Constitution," said the Pennsylvania House GOP in a statement.
There are now 185 cases of Coronavirus in Pennsylvania, a state with a 2019 estimated population of 12.8 million.
CLICK HERE for a list of businesses and services that must close and those allowed to remain in operation.