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PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) – Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert says he would have liked to have had advance notice of Governor Tom Wolf’s Thursday evening order shutting down all “non-life essential” businesses in the state.
“We saw it on the news last night,” Schubert told a group of reporters at a city update on operations surrounding the COVID-19 spread. “We have not had the level of communication I think a lot of us in the law enforcement side wish we would have had.”
Schubert says he is in touch with the city Law Department and District Attorney’s office to determine what authority police have to cite businesses that fail to obey the governor’s order. Enforcement was to start Saturday.
Schubert says police have beefed up their telephone reporting unit to limit contact between officers and people reporting non-violent, non-emergency crimes.
City Emergency Medical Services Chief Ron Romano told reporters paramedics will not transport to the hospital people with mild cold symptoms or other minor injuries. And he says to maintain social distancing, family members may not ride in an ambulance with patients going to the hospital. Exceptions are made for parents with children or patients not able to make their own decisions.
City officials say they have about an eight week supply of Personal Protection Equipment for police, medics, and firefighters. They aren’t sure how easy it will be to get more.
Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich says while some Public Safety employees have been sent home not feeling well, he is not aware of illness caused by exposure to anyone with COVID-19.
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