Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine Thursday afternoon provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, including one new presumptive positive case in Pike County, bringing the state’s total to 22, and guidance on how to reduce the spread of the virus.

“In Montgomery County, we are aggressively moving to a mitigation phase, and statewide we are providing guidance to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” said Gov. Wolf.

The governor provided applicable guidance to reduce the spread of the virus in the state over the next 14 days, specifically for commonwealth facilities and public buildings in Montgomery County, which with 13 cases has the most presumptive positive cases in the state.

The following guidance will be in place starting Friday for 14 days:

Montgomery County

A no visitor policy will be implemented for correctional facilities, nursing homes, and others to be evaluated.

Schools in Montgomery County will be closed starting tomorrow, as will child care centers licensed by the Commonwealth.

Adult day care centers will be closed.

Freedom of travel will remain, but the Governor and the Commonwealth ask all people to refrain from non-essential travel.

Statewide

The Wolf Administration strongly encourages the suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more.

The Wolf Administration discourages individuals from traveling to recreational activities like gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls.

The Wolf Administration encourages religious leaders to exercise discretion in order to mitigate the spread of illness.

State correctional facilities and veterans homes have already introduced a statewide visitor ban to ensure the safety of inmates, residents, staff and visitors.

22 cases

The Department of Health advised that the state now has 22 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, including one new presumptive positive case in Pike County – an adult who is in isolation at home and who came in contact with someone from another state who tested positive for COVID-19.

State presumptive positive totals as of 2 p.m. include:

Montgomery County: 13

Bucks County: 2

Philadelphia County: 1

Monroe County: 2

Delaware County: 1

Wayne County: 1

Northampton: 1

Pike County: 1

The Department of Health stressed the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.

Clean surfaces frequently.

If you are sick, stay home until you are feeling better.

“I strongly encourage the statewide suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more and discourage people from traveling to recreational activities such as gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls,” Gov. Wolf said. “And while people are free to travel, I ask that everyone refrain from non-essential travel. We all need to do our part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The time to do this is now. We cannot wait.”

“Essential services in Montgomery County – police, fire, and emergency medical services, public transportation, essential services for vulnerable populations such as our facilities for people with intellectual disabilities and autism – will still be operational,” Gov. Wolf said. “Supermarkets, pharmacies, and gas stations will remain open, but we do recommend that non-essential retail facilities close.”

“This situation is quickly evolving, even for us here at the Department of Health,” Dr. Levine said. “It can be overwhelming and scary to hear that you should stay home. Aside from practicing good health habits, we want you to practice good self-care to ensure your body is getting the proper nutrients from fruits, vegetables and getting enough sleep.”

“As this situation evolves, we will continually update Pennsylvanians through our website, health.pa.gov, our Facebook page and our Twitter account,” Dr. Levine said. “It’s important to remember that the most accurate and timely information regarding this outbreak is available through the Department of Health.”