Staving off cabin fever | Five for the Weekend

Happy Weekend, everyone! 

It might not feel like a weekend if you’ve been working remotely all week, or even a portion of it, but another weekend is definitely here – the first one of spring, no less!

Trivia Question: What are the first spring flower to bloom? (Answer below)

Continue self-isolating, stay informed and follow the advice and precautions laid out by state health officials.

The team at the Capital-Star will continue to work hard, bringing you the news you need about COVID-19 and the key issues that affect your lives. At a time of trial, the need for clear, concise reporting is more important than ever. And we’re going to deliver it to you. If you have questions or want to pass along story tips, email us at [email protected].

To fight off cabin fever, here’s a few stories NOT about COVID-19 to read in the backyard, snuggled up with your pet or while making a home-cooked meal.

• If at first you don’t succeed: Dem Shanna Danielson talks about her Pa. Senate run | 2020 Women Speak Up

• Bill to ban hairstyle discrimination proposed in Philly City Council

As always, the top five stories from this week’s news are below to help you stay current.

Cheers to a leisurely weekend,
Cassie Miller | Associate Editor

Trivia Answer: 
Daffodils, lilacs, tulips and dandelions are some of the first flowers to appear in Spring.

PITTSBURGH — An alliance of elected officials and other organizations led by the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration, a statewide advocacy group for individuals in lockup, is calling for the “decarceration” of the Allegheny County Jail in light of the COVID-19 virus.

While drastic steps have been taken to slow the spread of the virus by closing schools, banning large gatherings and asking nonessential employees in all professions to work from home, CADBI said that nothing has been done to help Allegheny County Jail inmates.

“These measures do not take into account one of the most vulnerable, highly concentrated populations: the county’s jail population, composed of over 2,300 individuals packed into tight quarters and often lacking basic hygiene,” according to a statement released by the group.

Update: Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday strengthened his orders for most Pennsylvania businesses to temporarily close their doors, using his executive power to threaten legal enforcement against those that refused to cease operations.

The broad designation applies to laundromats, performing arts venues, recreation centers, entertainment venues, and general merchandise stores, which all must shutter by 8 p.m. Thursday, Wolf announced in a late afternoon press release.

State agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police will begin enforcing the order at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, and businesses that don’t comply could face fines, citations, license revocations, or criminal prosecution, Wolf said.

The order also affects many office workplaces, including accounting businesses, law firms, real estate offices and certain administrative support services, according to a list of business classifications that accompanied the release.

Gov. Tom Wolf has asked Pennsylvanians to avoid public gatherings and recreational activities as he announced the shutdown of schools, community centers and entertainment venues for two weeks in Montgomery County to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Wolf’s instructions for “significant and decisive social distancing” will take effect Friday, March 13, he said.

“They seem severe but are far less draconian then what we may need to do in the future if we don’t act now,” Wolf said Thursday during a 2 p.m. press briefing with state health officials.

There are at least 22 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania, Wolf said, all in counties on the eastern edge of the state.

WASHINGTON — In a rare display of unity, all 18 members of Pennsylvania’s U.S. House delegation joined with a majority of their colleagues to approve an emergency stimulus package to combat the coronavirus pandemic after President Donald Trump signaled his support for the bill.

The early Saturday vote authorizes a multi-billion dollar package aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a new coronavirus, and mitigate its economic effects as fears of recession loom.

The bill — the Families First Coronavirus Response Act — passed 363-40, with overwhelming bipartisan support. The 40 votes against the bill were all Republicans. The House’s only independent lawmaker, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, voted “present” on the bill. Another 26 lawmakers did not vote.

Passage came hours after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the pandemic, freeing up as much as $50 billion to help the country weather the pandemic and waiving restrictions on health providers and facilities.