If you walk up and down Washington Avenue in Bridgeville, things might seem normal.
Cars and trucks are still exiting off of Interstate 79 and whizzing through the intersections to reach their next destination. Horns are beeping, gas is being pumped, coffee shops are brewing and pizzas are being delivered on a regular basis.
But, things are far from normal.
On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf urged nonessential businesses to shut their doors for 14 days to mitigate the spread of covid-19. The governor also ordered all restaurants and bars to close their dine-in facilities to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Some restaurants closed their doors completely while others decided to stay open and fill their customers’ needs with carry out and delivery options, which Wolfe said was permitted. They’ve also taken extra precautions to make their customers as comfortable as possible.
In an effort to do so, Big Guys Pizza in Bridgeville started offering no-contact delivery options for customers.
“The customers can inform us if they want us to leave the pizza outside somewhere in a specific location, and we can call them to let them know it’s arrived,” general manager Tyler Parrish said. “We can also wear gloves for the delivery, pretty much anything to make it a more comfortable interaction for the customer.”
Not only are businesses affected, but everyday lives of people in the community are as well. With daycares closing down, residents are forced to find other means of childcare. Their everyday routines also have been affected.
Mt. Lebanon resident Pamela Ross, who was in Bridgeville for a doctor’s appointment, is one of many adjusting. She said the fear of obtaining the coronavirus has made her pay attention to her everyday cleanliness.
“I’m just being extra cautious, remembering to wash my hands and stuff like that,” Ross said. “I’m not really worked up about it. I know it’s serious, but I’m pretty calm about it. I’m just being more careful.”
Ross said she has limited her extracurricular activities, but she still has no problem going out in public to complete her errands, like going to a doctor’s appointment, or picking up a prescription from her local pharmacy.
Growing up, Ross said she was an Army brat and spent time with her family in South Korea during the 1980s. She felt being there during that period of time helped prepare her for what the country is going through now.
“I definitely think so because we were worried while we were over there,” Ross said. “At one point, we had been in the country for like three days, then all of a sudden we were under martial law and it was crazy.”
Everyday routines aren’t the only things that have been interrupted. Katarina Rivera, a Bridgeville resident who works at a local healthcare facility doing administrative work, said the pandemic has affected her childcare plans and her part-time work.
Rivera quit her part-time job at Wal-Mart and with her daycare center being closed, she also had to find alternative childcare plans.
“My daycare shut down, so it has been pretty difficult to find childcare,” Rivera said. “But, we have been trying to make arrangements with family as much as we can.”
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