Pittsburgh forms Coronavirus task force to enforce guidelines

PITTSBURGH — Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Public Safety has taken an educational approach to masking and social distancing guidelines.

But with positive case numbers rising, the city has formed a task force at the request of Mayor Bill Peduto, to conduct compliance checks regarding Gov. Tom Wolf’s new Covid-19 mitigation efforts.

Wolf announced new protocols for schools, including a requirement that districts comply with an attestation to provide only fully remote learning and suspend all extracurricular activities as long as the Covid-19 transmission levels remain substantial.

He also mandated teleworking if possible, reduced maximum capacities for indoor events, discontinued the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages at bars and restaurants after 5 p.m. today and encouraged curbside pickup and deliveries.

The Public Safety Department sent the following statement to Channel 11:

“The taskforce will conduct random, unannounced compliance checks at various businesses tonight. All violations will be documented. In addition, police officers on regular patrol will respond to all complaints for violations of the Governor’s Order.”

More details on Wolf’s orders can be found here: https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/as-covid-19-cases-reach-critical-levels-wolf-admin-announces-new-mitigation-efforts/

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Cox Media Group