covid19

Cocktails to-go helped Pa. businesses stay afloat. Now they’re in for an even slower recovery

BY: - July 1, 2021

Anticipating a busy summer for takeout boozy drinks, Thomas Tell — a Lackawanna County bar owner — stocked up on sealable containers and drink carriers.

‘We are running out of time.’ Senate advances legislation to make to-go cocktails permanent

BY: - June 16, 2021

Gov. Tom Wolf said he would veto a bill that would allow thousands of retailers to sell canned alcoholic drinks, but that didn’t stop the Senate from pushing through legislation that would also make to-go cocktails a permanent menu item in Pennsylvania.

Pa. General Assembly votes to terminate Wolf’s COVID-19 emergency declaration

BY: - June 10, 2021

(*This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, 6/10/21, to include comment from Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia.) For the first time in 15 months, Pennsylvania is no longer operating under a COVID-19 emergency declaration. Using its newly expanded emergency powers, the GOP-controlled Legislature voted to end Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic disaster declaration this week. […]

After a year of Zoom and telework, Capitol staff make steady return to Harrisburg

BY: - June 6, 2021

Pennsylvania is on pace to normalcy. And for some Capitol staff, that means heading back to the office. Statewide COVID-19 mitigation measures have been lifted, so offices can operate at full capacity — meaning that when lawmakers return to Harrisburg next week, more staff will come with them for the first time since remote work […]

On track to achieve vaccine benchmark, Pa. plans to lift mask mandate by June 28

BY: - May 27, 2021

Statewide data show that nearly 98 percent of senior citizens and 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose.

Despite vote to limit emergency powers, Pa. Gov. Wolf extends COVID-19 disaster declaration

BY: - May 20, 2021

Wolf said the declaration allows more medical professionals to administer vaccines, provides families with access to food, and ensures counties and businesses are eligible for federal disaster recovery funding.

Pa.’s 2020 budget could be up to $1.8 billion short because of COVID-19 business closings

BY: - April 8, 2020

Pennsylvania could lose as much as $4 billion in tax revenues over the next 15 months due to the coronavirus-related economic shutdowns.

Pa. will stop paying 9k non-essential state workers

BY: and - April 3, 2020

Workers will be allowed apply for unemployment. The state will continue to provide health and life insurance benefits, according to published reports.

COVID-19: Where are State Police finding the open businesses that Wolf ordered to close?

BY: - March 24, 2020

The police are initially providing warnings, Evanchick said, to push for voluntary compliance. But stricter enforcement will follow as needed, he said.