Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Gov. Tom Wolf Extends Stay-At-Home Order To Butler And Westmoreland Counties
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Gov. Tom Wolf is extending the stay-at-home order to Butler and Westmoreland counties.
Nine more counties were added to the stay-at-home order Friday.
"To be clear: all Pa. residents should be staying home to stop the spread of COVID-19," Gov. Tom Wolf said.
I'm expanding my Stay at Home Order to include the following counties:
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) March 27, 2020
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The Pennsylvania Department of Health says Westmoreland County has 30 COVID-19 cases and Butler County has 26. One coronavirus-related death has been reported in Butler County.
Butler Health System confirmed to KDKA that they have administered 788 tests, 562 of which have been done at the hospital's drive-thru testing facility.
Fifteen patients are being treated in the hospital, though only one of them has confirmed COVID-19.
At an afternoon press conference Friday, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine says health officials are carefully monitoring both Butler and Westmoreland counties, where they say they've seen an increase in cases.
"As we track the increases in the number of new cases of COVID-19, we're tracking it very carefully across the entire state," Dr. Levine said.
"We know which counties those increases are in. And as those numbers increase to a significant level and we have evidence of community spread, then we discuss that with the governor's administration and the governor. And the governor decides whether to institute a stay-at-home order."
"And in those new counties, we're seeing those trends, and that explains the governor's order today."
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A two-week stay-at-home order is already in effect in Allegheny County.
On Monday, Wolf announced the order for the hardest-hit counties -- originally issuing it for Allegheny and a handful of eastern counties.
He says residents must stay in their homes, unless a life is in danger.
"All individuals in counties subject to this policy must stay at home except for certain essential activities and work to provide life-sustaining business and government services," the governor's guidelines say.
You can read a full list off "allowable" activities and travel here.
Currently, all non-life-sustaining businesses are closed statewide.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
- CDC Coronavirus Information
- CDC Global Map of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Information
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.