As the coronavirus continues to spread across Western Pennsylvania, several actions were taken by local leaders to help keep communities safe.

Here’s a look at what happened this week.

Businesses investigated

After Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to temporarily shutter last week, a handful were investigated by local and state police for not complying. Pennsylvania State Police issued 44 warnings statewide to businesses still operating Monday at 8 a.m.

Officers first issued warnings in an effort to gain voluntary compliance, followed by citations if necessary. State police have not yet issued any citations.

There were five warnings issued in Troop A on Tuesday, which includes Westmoreland, Cambria, Indiana and Somerset counties, bringing the two-day total to 9.

Troop B, which includes Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, issued two warnings Monday, but none Tuesday. One warning was issued Monday by officers in Troop D, which includes Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

Businesses that can still remain open include grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, beer distributors, auto parts stores, bakeries and restaurants offering takeout and delivery. Citizens can report businesses they believe are violating the order to state or local police.

Stay-at-home order

Allegheny County residents were put on a stay-at-home order Monday unless “someone’s life depends on your leaving,” Wolf said. The order, which also affects Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Monroe and Montgomery counties, is an effort to staunch the spread of the coronavirus in the state’s hardest-hit areas.

It was extended to Lehigh and Northampton counties Thursday. Westmoreland County was added Friday.

In Allegheny, the order went into effect at 8 p.m. Monday, though it does not affect grocery stores, pharmacies and other businesses previously deemed life-sustaining. As for enforcement, Wolf said authorities will be “focused on ensuring that residents are aware of the order and informing the public of social distancing practices rather than enforcement.”

If the order works in the counties it covers, Wolf said, it won’t be needed statewide.

Schools

On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera stressed that the school year cannot be extended beyond June 30.

Education officials are weighing options for students in traditional schools, as well as career tech programs, externships and co-ops. Rivera said the department is working with intermediate units across the state to ensure education continues in K-12 schools that have been ordered closed until at least April 9.

Wolf closed schools for two weeks, on March 13, as fears of covid-19 swept the state and then ordered an extension through April 6.

Business loans

Loans of up to $100,000 will be available to for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees through a new state program intended to help businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, Wolf announced.

The new funding, a total of $60 million called the Covid-19 Working Capital Access Program (CWCA), will be available under the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority Small Business First Fund, according to a statement from Wolf.

Retail, service enterprises and agricultural producers are among those for-profit businesses included in the new program, according to the statement. Eligible costs include working capital, which was defined as capital used for operations, excluding fixed assets and production equipment.

Real ID

People concerned about getting a Real ID by October have been given a reprieve. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday the deadline has been pushed back one year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The new date for Real ID enforcement is now Oct. 1, 2021.

Earlier this month PennDOT appealed to the Department of Homeland Security to extend the Oct. 1, 2020deadline. The appeal came amid other changes made by PennDOT amid the coronavirus pandemic including the closure of all Driver License Centers and Photo License Centers throughout Pennsylvania.

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