Gov. Tom Wolf | Facebook
Gov. Tom Wolf | Facebook
A number of businesses in Pennsylvania have chosen to go against a statewide order issued by the Allegheny County Health Department banning indoor dining in restaurants.
Gianna Via’s in Whitehall, Il Pizzaiolo in Mount Lebanon and Al’s Cafe in Bethel Park are just three of the businesses that defied Gov. Tom Wolf’s order by allowing patrons to dine in on Monday despite all three establishments being formally cited and ordered to shut down completely for seven days.
With fear of going out of business and the collapse of the economy, many businesses are finding ways of staying afloat even though the threat of the virus is severe.
“We certainly have all seen the devastating effects this shutdown has had on our friends, neighbors, employees, employers and the communities that host these businesses and nonprofits all over Pennsylvania,” Sen. David Argall, R-Berks said in a news release in June.
He added, “We have been told that some of these employers will take years to financially recover, and some, unfortunately, have no choice but to close their workplaces, even after being in operation for decades and decades.”
Lawmakers and industry leaders have weighed in on the effects of these lockdowns, and stimulus packages for businesses could be the way out.
According to researchers for the web site WalletHub, a state-by-state comparison of the economic impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures revealed that Pennsylvania ranked 17th.
The researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing industries deemed most vulnerable including food services, arts and entertainment, retail and real estate.
“In Pennsylvania, the largest share of employment from highly affected industries went toward advertising, public relations and related services, which WalletHub researchers ranked No. 12. Following close behind was oil and gas extraction, where the state’s employment ranked No. 13,” the analysis by WalletHub explained.
Florida was the most exposed economy, according to the study, with North Dakota being the least affected.
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