Restaurants and bars across Pennsylvania are the latest businesses to be affected by the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday called for all nonessential businesses to close for two weeks as of midnight, and all restaurants to close dining areas. President Donald Trump also recommended that people gather in groups no larger than 10 in order to minimize the spread of the virus.

Both announcements forced tough decisions by restaurants that had hoped to stay open by stepping up cleaning efforts and limiting capacity.

Restaurants across Carbon and Schuylkill counties were preparing to shift to takeout only as of Monday night.

“I’m going to have to go down to a limited staff, basically take it day by day,” said Fred Kemfort of the Boulevard Drive-in in Lehighton.

The Boulevard is one of many businesses that rely mainly on diners who eat in, but now Kemfort will have to adjust.

One Ten Tavern in Palmerton had taken steps like sanitizing menus, salt and pepper shakers, and ketchup bottles, but accepted Wolf’s recommendation to temporarily halt dine-in and go takeout only.

“Hopefully this will help everybody, help the employees here, help the people out there, and that’s all we can do,” said Lori Lucykanish, owner of One Ten Tavern in Palmerton.

Lucykanish said she plans to keep a limited staff to handle curbside pickup orders, accepting card payments to minimize contact between employees and customers.

Down Delaware Avenue at Bert’s Steakhouse & Restaurant, owner Jackie Costenbader considered allowing a reduced number of diners, spaced around the restaurant. She was particularly concerned about elderly customers who don’t cook and rely on restaurants for their meals.

“I had three people this morning who don’t cook and I had to turn them away. That’s not fair to them,” she said.

She’s hoping to serve those customers with pickup and delivery services.

Other restaurants that are offering takeout around Carbon County include Joey B, Sapore Restaurant, Macaluso’s Restaurant, Molly Maguires Pub and Steakhouse, MYST, Bonnie & Clyde, Notch Eight Craft House, Union Publick House, and Stone Row Pub & Eatery.

In Tamaqua, La Dolce Casa and Sisters Cantina were closing dining rooms but offering pickup and delivery. Tamaqua Station Restaurant and Beacon Diner in Hometown were closing until further notice. Luigi’s Brick Oven Pizzeria said they would operate as usual.

Wolf’s announcement affects many businesses, as well as facilities for seniors which are open during the day.

Wolf said the move is needed to eliminate physical contact and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“I anticipate this to continue for two weeks, but we will be constantly re-evaluating and we will lift the mitigation efforts as soon as possible. We need to eliminate as many physical contacts as we can to eliminate the further spread of COVID-19. We need to work together to do this, each and every one of us,” Wolf said.

During a news conference on Monday, Wolf said he expects grocery stores, medical facilities and trash collection to remain in effect.

Wolf said that he is working to ensure that Pennsylvania businesses get their share of Small Business Administration loans which the federal government has pledged to help businesses affected by the coronavirus mitigation efforts.

The state’s casinos have announced that they have closed. Wolf also requested all day care centers close.

Wolf did not provide specifics about enforcing the closures, but asked whether he would crack down on race tracks in central Pennsylvania that held races, Wolf appealed to residents to think of their fellow citizens who could be more seriously affected by the virus.

“People will be making decisions what to do with their lives - what we ought to do is not think of what should we do in terms of what the law is - but what should we do in terms of our fellow citizens, and that’s what I would say to the folks at the racecourse,” Wolf said.

Some Republicans in Harrisburg pointed out that Wolf does not have the authority to force businesses to close.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, said he supports the suggestion to temporarily limit dining in at restaurants.

“Everyone’s stocked up, stay home for the next 14 days until the schools go back in,” he said.

Local restaurants said Wolf’s decision will force them to send home employees for the next two weeks and perhaps longer. Kemfort pledged that he would retain all staff when dine-in resumes.

Costenbader is trying to keep her employees for as long as possible, embarking on a deep cleaning of the restaurant and having servers help with deliveries.

“I’m going to try to help my employees out as much as I can. Hopefully at the end of the two weeks, this will all blow over,” she said.

Lucykanish said it was also a tough decision to temporarily reduce the staff because they are close-knit, and many have family members to support. She said she hopes that the steps being taken by businesses will pay off by helping reduce the virus’ spread.

“This is what we’re going to have to do. We have no choice but to do the right thing and get it done,” she said.