Centre County is now under a stay-at-home order. Here’s what that means

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Saturday that Centre County has been added to the list of Pennsylvania counties under a “stay-at-home” order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The order takes effect at 8 p.m. Saturday and continues until at least April 6.

Centre County gained four new cases Saturday of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, boosting the total number of cases in the county to 15, according to the state Department of Health. The county’s first case was confirmed on March 20.

Wolf said the order is being expanded throughout the state “in a measured way.”

“We think the need is there to up the game and to make sure that people are staying home and that we’re doing even more to keep ourselves safe,” he said during a media briefing Saturday, “to keep ourselves from infecting other people.”

Health Secretary Rachel Levine said the state considers several factors when it comes to a stay at home order. Officials look at the number of cases in a certain county as well as in surrounding counties and also consult with county leaders about what they’re seeing on the ground.

“Together, we discuss that at the senior staff meetings,” Levine said at the briefing. “In the end, we look to the governor for a decision about closing or the stay at home order in each county.”

Under the order, residents are allowed to leave home only for these allowable activities and essential travel, according to a press release from the governor’s office:

• Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including 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, their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences;
• 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;
• To care for a family member or pet in another household;
• Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities
• Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or others who are vulnerable;
• Travel to or from educational institutions to receive materials for distance learning, meals or any other related services;
• Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction;
• Travel required by law enforcement or court order; and
• Travel required for nonresidents to return to their place of residence outside the state.

Anyone involved in life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason.

The following operations are exempt:

• Life-sustaining business activities;
• Health care or medical services providers;
• Access to life-sustaining services for low-income residents, including food banks;
• Access to child care services for employees of life-sustaining businesses that remain open as follows: child care facilities operating under the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning waiver process; group and family child care operating in a residence; and part-day school age programs operating under an exemption from the March 19 business closure orders;
• News media;
• Law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters;
• The federal government; and
• Religious institutions.

International students, foster youth and other students who would be homeless as a result of campus closures are exempt and may remain in campus housing.

The homeless are not subject to the order but are urged to find shelter and government agencies are asked to help in that regard.

Law enforcement will focus on making sure residents know about the order and social distancing guidelines rather than enforcement “at this time,” according to the governor’s office. Noncompliant businesses should be reported to local law enforcement’s nonemergency number or state police. Do not call 911.

Beaver and Washington counties were also added to the order, which now covers 22 counties. The remaining counties under the order are: Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland and York.

There are now 2,751 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania as of noon Saturday. Twelve more people have died of the coronavirus, bringing the state total to 34. No Centre County residents have died from the global pandemic.

This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 12:47 PM.