Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf confirmed the state’s first death from COVID-19 in a somber news conference Wednesday afternoon. The death was a patient from Northampton County. Wolf declined to release details to respect the privacy of the family.

Wolf repeatedly urged people to stay home.

“In just over two weeks, more than 130 cases have been diagnosed and it’s increasing at an exponential pace,” Wolf said. “The characteristics are difficult to control. The virus spreads by contact and lives on surfaces lengthy periods of time.”

He added, “With knowledge of how quickly it spreads, I ask all Pennsylvanians to stay home.”

“Every day that goes by that people continue to interact is a day that the virus continues to unknowingly affect more and more people. Today’s is just first death of what will become many. Our only hope is to keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed so our medical professionals can do the most they can,” Wolf said.

After the death was announced, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board toughened its stance, saying all retail licensees, clubs, permittees, and producers must stop the sale of food and alcohol for on-premises consumption, until further notice.

Anyone who doesn’t comply risks fines or license suspensions.

Board Chairman Tim Holden said, “Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, and this decision is not made lightly. But saving lives and protecting the health and safety of our communities is our highest priority right now.”

“We need to work together if we want to save lives,” he said.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging has announced temporary changes to help protect older adults from COVID-19 and ensure they have an adequate supply of medication to get through social distancing.

Secretary of Aging Robert Torres spoke to reporters during a daily update on the state’s COVID-19 response. He talked about steps his department is taking to protect seniors, who are more likely to have severe cases of the COVID-19 virus.

As of Wednesday morning the total number of cases of COVID-19 in the state had grown to 133, however 1,187 people have tested negative.

Torres announced that the Department of Aging has temporarily eliminated face-to-face requirements for programs that provide home care and meals for seniors. They have also relaxed requirements for the PACE prescription assistance program.

“This temporary guidance relaxes some requirements and provides flexibility to help the adults who use these services while ensuring their safety as well as the safety of the staff who interacts with them,” Torres said.

The PACE program allows seniors on a limited income to receive assistance to pay for prescription drugs. The program requires seniors to use 75 percent of a prescription before they can be reimbursed for a refill. Torres said as of this week, the 75 percent requirement has been temporarily waived so seniors can get their medication when they desire.

“If you are worried about running low on prescriptions, you do not need to wait until you have 75 percent of your medication used before you can get a refill,” Torres said.

In order to get an exemption from the 75 percent rule, PACE participants must have their pharmacy call the Department on Aging. Participants having difficulty getting a refill can get assistance by calling 1-800-225-7233.

Torres also said that they are minimizing face-to-face assessments which are required for assistance programs which benefit seniors, like the Options program, Domiciliary Care program, and caregiver assistance program.

Carbon County Agency on Aging Administrator Susan Zeigler applauded the announcement. She said the relaxed requirements for face-to-face visits will reduce the potential risk of an older adult catching the virus. She said basically all services are being handled by phone with the exception of protective services and home delivered meals.

And the change to the prescription program means they are prepared to stay home.

“I think it’s great they relaxed that requirement so they can get the medicine ahead of time and be prepared,” Zeigler said.

Zeigler said since the governor ordered senior day centers to temporarily close, the office is also distributing frozen food to seniors once a week at the senior centers.

Volunteers are still needed for the program. Anyone interested can call the Department of Aging at 610-824-7830.

Also most grocery stores have reserved an hour in the morning for elderly and high-risk people to shop.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Dr. Rachel Levine responded to questions about the state’s ongoing response to COVID-19.

Levine was asked about the state’s supply of ventilators. She said the state has been working with health networks to prepare them for a likely surge of ill patients over the coming weeks. She said the state has a supply of ventilators but is working to acquire more.

Asked about the time between exposure and a positive test, Levine said the virus incubation period is 2-14 days with an average of five days. She said it’s not exactly known how long a person would test positive before symptoms develop.

Marta Gouger contributed to this report.