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Gov. Tom Wolf's office gave the OK to reopen 106 of the state system's 600 stores to help with online fulfillment, a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokeswoman said. They will remain off-limits to the public and will not engage in retail sales.
The store closings have been widely unpopular, especially since the state's swamped online ordering system has been unable to meet customer demand in a state where the liquor board controls the overwhelming majority of retail sales of hard alcohol.
Employees have been getting called back, and stores are expected to open next week for workers.
The plan is to require enhanced sanitation and social distancing measures and to limit the number of employees per location, to help avoid transmission of the new coronavirus.
Wolf, a Democrat, closed the stores about a month ago.
Wendell Young IV, president of Local 1776 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents about 3,500 of the store clerks, said the PLCB plan is designed to meet a crushing demand for online sales.
“Our goal is to begin opening those 106 early next week and throughout the week,” Young said Thursday. “It's all going to depend on making sure the stores are ready first, and the staff is trained first.”
Before the COVID-19 crisis, online sales had been a small part of the state liquor system's $2.7 billion in annual sales. The agency also sells much of the wine consumed in the state.
Through online fulfillment centers in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia suburbs, the agency was able to fill only about 9,600 orders worth $2.1 million from April 1 to 8.
Young said the liquor board has also been reconfiguring the 13 centers that it runs across Pennsylvania to fill orders for restaurants and other licensees. Those centers are not open to the public, but instead will be packaging online orders for delivery.
Young said “a couple” of those 13 so-called “warehouse stores” are now operating and rest will be restarted gradually.
Producers, breweries, wineries and distilleries, and privately owned beer distributorships, have been permitted to sell during the shutdown of nonessential businesses.
In other coronavirus-related developments in Pennsylvania:
New cases and deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 1,245 additional positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. The statewide total is at least 27,735 infections.
Since Wednesday, 60 new deaths were reported among patients who tested positive, bringing the total to 707. According to the department, 365 of those deaths have been among residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
Face coverings now a requirement
It is now a requirement for Pennsylvanians to wear a mask or cover their faces when in a grocery store or other essential business.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed the order on Wednesday, saying the goal is to keep workers safe. To do so, officials say, stores must hammer home social distancing and cleanliness guidelines — and employees and customers must have masks on.
Wolf said covering our faces is the least we can do for those employees.
“Our essential workers have stepped up to the plate and are keeping us safe, healthy, fed and sheltered during this time,” he said.
The order says business can “deny entry” to those without a mask. Wolf's office later clarified that stores are expected to use “sound judgement,” but they can’t stand in the way of people getting critical food and medicine. And anyone with a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask doesn't need to have one.
For non-mask wearers, officials say, stores need to “provide an alternate means of delivering goods.”
Wolf warns of big budget deficit
Pennsylvania is facing a projected budget deficit of up to $5 billion, Wolf warned in a letter to President Donald Trump.
The letter, dated Wednesday, backed calls from other governors for another $500 billion in federal aid for states fighting the spread of the coronavirus. It was issued with two other Democratic governors, Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
Trump narrowly won all three states in 2016, all of which had long backed Democrats in presidential contests.
Wolf said the projected deficit ranging between $4.5 billion and $5 billion will make it more difficult for the state to support workers and businesses as it attempts to rebuild its economy.
Over the weekend, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York issued a call for the additional $500 billion. Hogan is chairman of the National Governors Association and Cuomo is the vice chair.
Montgomery County asks for masks donations
Eight more Montgomery County residents have died after getting infected by the coronavirus, and more than 2,300 county residents have tested positive since the outbreak.
Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said the county is once again putting out a call for businesses or residents to donate masks.
“Particularly surgical masks. Our need for these masks has increased dramatically, partly from some of the governor’s recent orders,” she said.
A Bucks County university steps up
Delaware Valley University in Doylestown is offering a helping hand to health care workers.
Since students were sent home because of the pandemic, dormitory rooms and showers are empty, the hallways silent, just perfect for exhausted doctors and nurses working long shifts at Doylestown Hospital.
Dr. Maria Gallo, president of the university, said those empty rooms will now house the health care workers trying to save patient’s lives.
"They may have a long way to go back and forth. They’re working very long shifts. Maybe they don’t want to expose a family member ... to potential health risks, so people have a place to stay close by that’s clean and safe," Gallo said.
She said the university is also preparing the gym and auditorium for use, just in case the hospital needs extra room for patients or testing facilities.
"We have the facilities if they have those needs, so we’re willing to do whatever it takes to help in the situation," she said.
She said the university will house dozens of workers for as long as students remain off campus.
Berks sounds alarm
A sharp rise in coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals in Berks County, officials said Thursday.
Tower Health's Reading Hospital and Penn State Health St. Joseph released a model that shows a looming shortage of regular hospital beds and ICU beds. Hospital officials said they are working to avoid that worst-case scenario by creating additional bed capacity, adding staff and procuring supplies.
The hospital executives took part in a news conference arranged by the Berks County commissioners.
Board chairman Christian Leinbach said virus cases are rising at a sharper rate in Berks than in neighboring counties. He chided Berks residents and businesses for failing to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“The numbers are bleak in Berks County,” Leinbach said. “We are not doing well. Businesses and individuals are not doing enough of the basic things, like wearing a mask.”
More than 1,400 Berks County residents have tested positive for the virus, according to the state health department. Leinbach, citing data from the coroner's office, said 52 have died.
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