At a news conference late this afternoon, Gov. Tom Wolf announced new Covid-19 restrictions to take effect on Saturday at 12:01 am until Monday, January 4 at 8 am.
No indoor dining.
Casinos, bowling alleys, theaters and gyms closed.
No high school sports.
No spectators at pro or college sports.
50% occupancy at every business.
Indoor gatherings limited to 10 people.
Northampton County is currently in the middle of a capital jury trial. Testimony in that case is supposed to continue on Monday. Will these new restrictions necessitate a mistrial? I believe that case must be permitted to conclude.
29 comments:
I am fed up with all of these restrictions because lives are being ruined. Believe me, I wish this disease on no one, but I am a big believer in personal responsibility. It boggles my mind that Wolf and his secretary of health (chosen more to check a box than qualifications) have been able to create a fiefdom — or is it a nanny state?
This is the step to ensure that Democrats will be voted out of office for next 3 voting cycles. I also am expecting to see mass civil disturbances and serious violations of the foolish restrictions imposed as the governor's Christmas and New Years' gifts to voters. I also expect big box stores to continue as normal until trashed by angry residents.
My New Year wish to all: Be careful out there. This is gonna be a mess unless the sheep cooperate...
Wolf gets to be a dictator. Only outdoor dining, pickup and outdoor fitness. Hope global warming kicks in for the next 3 weeks. Merry Christmas to all the employees of restaurants.
Mark in Bangor.
FEAR REIGNS. AGAIN
tRump lied, denied and now 290,000+ Americans are dead!
Mark the bagger is on the Stern Show.
we lost a staff member in our medical office to covid last week. my wife lost her grandparents in the spring. my patients are winding in the hospital for weeks at a time.
if you weren't already taking these types of precautions...you were doing it wrong. the only thing wolf and other politicians are doing wrong is failing to give people what they need to sit around their house and do nothing. that would be "socialism" anyway.
The problem is that as a society we are too entitled, selfish and lazy and are unwilling to make sacrifices for the greater good.
@6:38 pm
Actually you inadvertently hit the nail on the head when you said you are a big believer in personal responsibility. That’s the whole problem, people don’t have personal responsibility and don’t know how to follow guidelines. Why must we go shopping in groups of five or six or why must whole families go out shopping together and crowding stores? What’s so bad about getting takeout or pick up? When history is written in 50 or 100 years from now about this pandemic, people are going to look back and shake their head and say how dumb were they back then!
This sucks and no one is happy about it, but at the same time its become very apparent that "Personal Responsibility" in this state/country begins and ends with "Personal" and far too many people have simply and selfishly chosen to down play or ignore the reality of our situation which ultimately ruined it for everyone. "It's a Hoax", "It won't happen to me, I'm careful" or "I just can't deal with being home all the time" crowd.
I miss seeing my parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. I dearly miss going to school sporting events, simple pleasures like going out to a restaurant or just having drinks with friends. It sucks.
It's pathetic that people refuse to acknowledge, make excuses or attempt to rationalize away 2,500 COVID deaths per day in this country. They also don't seem to care that hospitals and emergency rooms are beyond capacity and that the doctors, nurses and care givers are at their limits, because right now they or any of their loved ones don't currently need their services, so they're blissfully ignorant of other peoples problems.
Yup, American individualism at its finest right now, "hooray for me, the hell with you" is what has made us the leader in cases around the globe. Restaurants and bars are a problem,so are family gatherings. Too many people have NOT taken personal responsibility to follow the recommendations and so now we all suffer from your "freedom" waving BS.
@9:00 - Sums things up quite nicely in one simple sentence.
We are a nation of soft and spoiled brats, who look for excuses and people to blame when they don't get what they think they deserve. The Gayest Generation.
Gov. Wolf has created a fiefdom since the PA Supreme Court is partisan. There is no reason to ban indoor dining and further devastate that industry that has already experienced many permanent closures. Who wants to eat outdoors in 30 degree weather? The eating establishments have followed the social distancing reduced capacity rules. The result in our asinine governor's opinion is they are to blame for the increase of cases while following his rules. You have more of a chance contacting this virus shopping than eating indoors. More cases are being reported because more people are being tested. I will patronize any eating establishment that defies this dictator.
Pathfinder - instead of eating inside a restaurant that is essentially giving a middle finger to society in general for such defiance - just make a practice to order take out from your favorite spots on a regular basis and tip generously. You sitting in their restaurant, just exposes you, your server and anyone else there to each others germs - that doesn't make you a hero or savior of small business, it just makes you a risk to yourself, your family and random strangers.
We are not living in ordinary times with this virus out there. The point of these closures is to eliminate the reason and temptation of going out and hanging around public spaces for extended periods of time.
Our elected leaders, both DEM and REP need to be doing MUCH more than shit talking each other and attempting to extract and leverage advantages for their donor bases. This isn't a political problem, its everyone's problem and we need to stop whining and casting blame about it.
I'll give another example. My wife's hairdresser works on appointments only. Other then my wife, the hairdresser is the only ones there. Both wearing facemasks and appropriate sanitizer. The owner hasn't received a one damn nickel from the now stalled stimulus the senate hasn't voted on for 262 days. Now she's threatened with yet another shutdown.
It's been pointed out the airlines got $50 billion ($200 per U.S. adult). This while cutting staff by 90,000).
Face it what we have here is a near total dysfunctional government system without a lick of common sense.
Yet another example.
My wife went to a small yarn store. The owner is not allowed to hold classes so she is barely surviving (although I don't know how). Again she too only works by appointments allowing only one person in at a time. The wife apologized for taking too long. The owner said it wasn't a problem since she was the only customer she had all day. Now Wolf is even taking that away from her.
If government is going to do this to businesses they should be compensated in some way. Either that or have a better plan then this half assed edict.
The only way some of these folks can survive is pull down the shades, turn off the lights and lock the doors like they did back in the speakeasy days. On the other hand some of them may choose to stay open risking a fine. Why not? They'll probably end up in bankruptcy with or without a fine anyway
If Gov. Wolf had any moral aptitude he would have shut down the mall concourses and the non-food sections of places like Wal-Mart instead of indoor dining. He will not attempt to close those places because they have lawyers who will sue & win. So he goes after an industry that is mostly family owned and that operates on a very competitive slim profit margin. He does care how many lively hoods he destroys.
3.10
"If government is going to do this to businesses they should be compensated in some way"
Why?
If the state declares a snow emergency and closes the roads--does that mean the state should pay a yarn store for the lack of customers?
Government is responding to a natural disaster.
The government is not the cause of the pandemic.
When did business profits become a taxpayer funded requirement?
1.31
"The owner hasn't received a one damn nickel from the now stalled stimulus the senate hasn't voted on for 262 days"
Except for the cut the hairdresser pays to the owner.
The owner is not putting themselves at risk of infection, the worker(hairdresser) is.
As to the lack of government help taking so long the salon owner --yep plenty of business owners have to wait to get money.
Just like many employees.
Why should the salon owner be first in line for taxpayer funds?
Should the system work quickly and fairly?-sure however sometimes it does not.
Perhaps those who clearly believe they know more than every government official would be so kind as to tell us what public policy they would propose.
If we could trust everyone to act responsibly, it would've happened by now.
8:36 thank you. These are tough decisions to make in a situation without modern precedent. It is a novel virus after all with varying degrees of varying symptoms that can possibly last for months. Get a grip folks, mask up and get curbside for 3 weeks. Maybe we'll finally start to get a handle on this thing.
December 11, 2020 at 7:19 PM Anonymous said... If the state declares a snow emergency and closes the roads--does that mean the state should pay a yarn store for the lack of customers?
Difference is whether to stay open or not is solely the choice of the store owner. In this case she may have no choice.
When did business profits become a taxpayer funded requirement?
Surely government should play some part in making a single owner legitimate business whole if they're going to force them into bankruptcy. As you say Government is responding to a natural disaster. That's what they do during any other "natural disaster" for individuals. If they're paying unemployment and stimulus why are these individual people (just because they own a business) excluded? They pay taxes too
December 11, 2020 at 7:34 PM Anonymous said... The owner is not putting themselves at risk of infection, the worker(hairdresser) is.
Maybe I didn't make it clear. She is the owner of the business. I'm talking about single owner small businesses.
I also need to clarify something. The line in the governors order that says.. "may only operate at up to 50% of the maximum capacity stated on the applicable certificate of occupancy, except as limited by existing orders to a smaller capacity limit." I interpret this to mean a local government could require otherwise. I'd also question whether any specific maximum capacity would be stated on either their occupancy certificates, Hence nothing they'd have little legal standing to oppose this if they were forced to close. Further this order doesn't allow appeals nor exceptions.
The comment at 10:15, which wished for harm to those opposed to Wolf's latest edict, is deleted. Do not submit comments wishing for harm to others.
It is not forever. It is for 3 weeks. Governor Wolf's mandate is until January 4th. There is currently a SURGE and area hospitals and first responders are overwhelmed. It's already flu season. Please, just stay in as much as possible for the next few weeks and wear a mask whenever you could come across someone outside of your household.
This would be a GREAT time to buy gift cards from those hair stylists, bars and restaurants and other small businesses for your friends and family! I'm planning to buy some certificates to downtown Easton restaurants for a few coworkers and I'm pretty sure I'll be receiving some as well. In "normal times" we would've spent hundreds at holiday happy hours and grabbing dinner or lunch with friends in town to see family. This year, cards and promises of cocktails to come is the best I can do. So buy those gift certificates early and be generous if you're able to when tipping for takeout and holiday bonuses.
LVCI - At some point in a raging national pandemic, controlling the spread and saving lives and hospital staff and beds has to be the Governor's #1 priority. That point is now through January 4th.
Now while he focuses on that, private industry, banks, landlords, etc should proactively offer grace periods and even fee and interest-free forgiveness periods as a show of good faith and investment into their communities. After all, not everyone is doing worse-off financially in the pandemic economy. Even the most casual real estate investor has benefitted from the raise in their property values. And lost of businesses and industries have or will have been bailed out when all is said and done.
December 13, 2020 at 11:00 AM Anonymous said...Even the most casual real estate investor has benefitted from the raise in their property values. And lost of businesses and industries have or will have been bailed out when all is said and done.
Again, I was referring to single owners. Your example of property owners doesn't hold water. When property values goes up, their taxes go up. Not their rental income unless they stick it to their renters. If a landlord chooses to flip their holdings so would all the other properties purchase cost them more as well. Suppose I'm retired and depended on rental income from my prior home long term to help pay for my new abode? This wouldn't help one iota.
As far as "businesses and industries have or will have been bailed out when all is said and done."That's one hellva assumption considering Senate leader Mitch's position up to now.
controlling the spread and saving lives and hospital staff and beds has to be the Governor's #1 priority.
He can do that without bankrupting small businesses in the process. For example, why not allow large restaurants/bars to have sealed off limited seating per square foot. Indoor gatherings like gyms and wedding venues with fewer then 20% of their capacity which are following all the hyperventilation systems, masking and screening requirements for their guests. Why ban them 100% in their entirety?
BTW: This is why I seldom comment on other blogs. It ends up me needing to spent a huge amount of time responding numerous times to every single comment I make. So this shall be my last response.
IT'S THREE WEEKS. Maybe some of these small business owners can ask the wait staff and line cooks they've been paying crap wages to for years where the nearest food bank is to help tide them over.
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