(Lititz, PA-LititzDailyNews.com)- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf today added Lancaster County and 8 other counties are being added to the stay-at-home order effective 8 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 27, 2020. The order will be in effect until at least April 6, 2020.

Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, emphasized that the order does not restrict individuals from participating in life-sustaining community service.

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“Life-sustaining activity is certainly allowed–so going to a grocery store, going to a pharmacy–food is life-sustaining. It’s wonderful for people to donate their time and and resources to something like Meals on Wheels or other types of food banks. We still encourage that. In addition, we encourage people to give blood because blood is necessary at this time. So that would be another way people can help their community and our commonwealth.”

The 9 new counties added to the stay-at-home order today are: Berks, Butler, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland and York. The total counties under the order is 19.

Here is a list of allowable individual activities and allowable essential travel under the stay-at-home order:

Allowable Individual Activities

Individuals may leave their residence ONLY to perform any of the following allowable individual
activities and allowable essential travel.

  • Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including, but not limited to, pets), such as obtaining medicine or medical supplies, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home.
  • Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves or their family or household members, or to
    deliver those services or supplies to others, such as getting food and household consumer
    products, pet food, and supplies necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential
    operation of residences. This includes volunteer efforts to distribute meals and other life-sustaining services to those in need.
  • Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking or running if they maintain social distancing.
  • To perform work providing essential products and services at a life-sustaining business (see below for details about life-sustaining business activities).
  • To care for a family member or pet in another household.
Allowable Essential Travel
  • Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities (see below for details about life-sustaining business activities).
  • Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable
    persons.
  • Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services.
  • Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction.
  • Travel required by law enforcement or court order.
  • Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the commonwealth.

You may read the governor’s order in its entirety here.

The governor previously ordered non-essential businesses to close, and business owners may apply for an waiver/exemption to business closure if they believe their business to be essential. Businesses can begin the waiver process by phone, email, or via the web form on the DCED website, the governor said.

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Lynn Rebuck is the editor and publisher of award-winning LititzDailyNews.com, the only independent digital news source in Lititz. Lynn is an award-winning journalist who was invited to the White House and has received top recognition from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, Pennsylvania Women’s Press Association, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and has been profiled in Editor & Publisher magazine for her unparalleled dedication to publishing LititzDailyNews.com to benefit the community.