Western Pa. leaders urge precautions as region moves into yellow phase

Officials expect a spike in covid-19 cases with the reopening of Southwestern Pennsylvania business, but believe the region can minimize impact if people continue following guidelines for social distancing, wearing masks and remaining at home when possible.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald hosted a teleconference Tuesday that included government and business leaders to provide guidance as the region moves into a yellow phase on Friday. All urged the public to observe safety precautions that have been in use since a regional lockdown began in March.

Yellow lifts stay-at-home restrictions and permits some businesses to reopen.

“As Allegheny County reopens under yellow, we really expect to see an increase in cases as people come together, but we really want to keep that to a bare minimum rise,” Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said. “We want to make sure that we stay where we’ve been, or very close to where we’ve been, and we can all do that by limiting the spread of the virus in the ways that we’ve been talking about in the last few months.”

Bogen said the department plans to expand testing and coronavirus contact tracing and will announce plans later this week to offer testing at federally qualified health centers in the county. She said the department will “very closely” track emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

“As we go back to work, we want to have availability of testing so that the employers can send anyone who they’re concerned about to get testing quickly, and I think that will keep us open if we can be responsive to that and that’s our aim,” she said.

Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference, said her organization Tuesday launched a website dubbed Ready Pittsburgh that includes the “best advice, direction, guidance and practices” for businesses to reopen safely.

“Moving forward we will continue to provide insights and information that will help our region reopen and recover,” she said.

Mayor Bill Peduto said people and businesses in Pittsburgh should follow four steps: work from home if possible, consider scheduling employees to work in shifts, maintain social distancing and follow all Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

He and Fitzgerald warned that businesses face the loss of their license and insurance and possible closure if they violate the guidelines. They said they hope residents continue to follow the rules.

“I think a lot of this is going to be social pressure,” Fitzgerald said. “The public will influence a lot of what goes on. It’s in their best interest, the best interest of their family and the best interest of the community to be responsible as we go through this.”

U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, and Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, said they would work to provide funding for local and state governments, unemployment compensation and coronavirus testing in the next federal bailout package.

Local governments, including Pittsburgh, are dipping into reserve funds as tax revenue dries up because of the economic disruption.

Lamb said testing is critically important.

“The importance of testing and (personal protective equipment) is really only going to increase as we take steps to reopen. An important goal for us all to keep in mind is not just this question of reopening, but of staying open for the long haul,” he said. “More testing is more business, and it’s going to mean a quicker economic recovery.”