Erie County leaders provided additional guidance about enforcement of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's order mandating non-life-sustaining businesses to close to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The environmental branch for the county's COVID-19 emergency operations center has been taking phone calls from the public and businesses and working with them to operate safely, so they can protect themselves and the public, according to director Karen Tobin during a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Facilities that are allowed to remain open should be emphasizing social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and equipment and encouraging thorough hand washing.

Any workers who are ill or show symptoms should not be working.

Tobin is also asking businesses and the public to exercise crowd control. They are encouraged to not promote events allow people to gather or form of long lines. Businesses are asked to limit the number of people inside at a time and have employees monitoring visitors and encouraging social distancing.

Restaurants should concentrate on drive-thru, curbside pickup and delivery in order to eliminate contact with customers. They are also asked to take all payments over the phone, when possible, to limit contact with money and credit or debit cards.

If carryout is offered, Tobin said businesses should limit the number of customers inside at a time and posts signs with their phone number that encourage customers to wait outside and call an employee to bring out the order. She is also asking the public to stagger meal times. Food trucks and takeout operation cannot offer any seating.

Tobin said safety must be enforced if a business offers any specials, giveaways or promotions.

Grocery stores are asked to limit the number of customers inside and make sure people keep their distance. They are encouraged to use tape to show people where to stand in line, so they are not standing close together, and encourage people to go one direction down aisles.

Workers are encouraged to sanitize the conveyor belts and payment terminals.

Businesses who acquire waivers from the state to remain open are asked to post a copy in their windows, Tobin said.

The state has delayed enforcement postponed from Saturday at 12:01 a.m. to Monday at 8 a.m. due to the volume of businesses requesting the waivers.

Anyone who sees a business open that does not meet the requirement of the Governor's order or have a waiver posted can report it to the Health Department at 814-451-6700. Four staff members are taking calls. Here's a list of what businesses are still allowed to operate »

Staff from the environmental division of the Erie County Health Department and county law enforcement are working together to enforce the order.

News release from the county

County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper and Acting Environmental Branch Director Karen Tobin today announced plans to enforce actions against all non-life-sustaining businesses that do not close physical locations, beginning Monday, March 23, at 8 a.m.

Governor Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations to slow the spread of COVID-19. Enforcement actions were originally scheduled to begin March 21 at 12:01 a.m., but then extended that date to Monday. A list of life-sustaining businesses can be found here.

Erie County Department of Health staff is taking calls to address questions and concerns. They are working with essential businesses to ensure safe operation and assist them with being compliant with the Governor’s order. The focus is to operate safely and protect workers and the public, and to take every precaution possible, including:

  • Social distancing
  • Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and equipment
  • Thorough hand washing and hand sanitizing
  • Prohibiting workers with any symptoms of illness to work

They will also be enforcing crowd control.

Guidelines for businesses:

  • Businesses are not permitted to do anything that encourages crowd gatherings or long lines where customers are standing close together.
  • Businesses must limit the number of customers/visitors at a time.
  • Businesses must have an employee monitoring visitors and stressing social distancing.

Guidelines for food facilities:

Restaurants:

  • Focus on drive thru, curbside pickup and delivery to limit customer contact.
  • Take payments over the phone to limit money and credit card handling.
  • Options for carry-out:
    • Limit the number of customers inside at one time.
    • Post a sign with a phone number and an instruction telling customers to call it when they arrive.
    • The public should stagger meal times to avoid big crowds at noon, 5 p.m., etc.
    • It is OK to prop doors open to prevent people from touching them.
    • Employees can stop customers at the door and hand the delivery out.
    • For food trucks and places with takeout only, there can be no seating, and crowds cannot be allowed to gather outside.
  • If businesses want to have a special, they are to offer it all day long, not in a short window of time, to spread out the crowds.
  • If they hold a larger event such as a food giveaway, it must be available by drive-thru only to avoid gathering.

Options for grocery stores:

  • Limit customers and don’t allow them to be in a line while waiting to open in the morning.
  • Direct the flow of traffic inside.
  • Make customers stay back while each one is checking out.
  • Sanitize conveyor belts and card swipes between customers.
  • Set times for specific ages.
  • Set times alphabetically – family last name – for public access.

“If businesses feel they should be open and they are on the Governor’s list of nonessential businesses, then they should apply for a waiver to stay open,” Tobin said. “Once the waiver is obtained, it should be posted in the window of your business so customers and enforcement can clearly see it.”

Waivers and other information are available at http://dced.pa.gov/resources.

“I appreciate everyone’s cooperation during this very difficult time,” Dahlkemper said. “I encourage residents to take a walk staying six feet away from others. Stay connected through social media. Be creative with technology. This is all about saving lives in our community. Stay home so we can all get back to work soon.”

For any questions, call Erie County Department of Health at 814-451-6700.