New mitigation orders from state now expected on Thursday, Allegheny County executive says – WTAE Pittsburgh

THE WEEKLY ALLEGHENY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BRIEFING WAS SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC STATE MITIGATION RULES WE ANTICIPATED RECEIVING TODAY, BUT THE GOVERNOR’S POSITIVE TEST DELAYED THAT ANNOUNCEMEN MIKE: REGARDLESS OF WHAT SPECIFICS ARE COMING, BOTH COUNTY EXECUTIVE RICH FITZGERALD AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, DOCTOR DEBRA BOGEN, SAID NEW MEASURES ARE CRITICAL TO STOP THE SPREAD. >> SO ACTION IS NEEDED BECAUSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES REAL DO WORK. AND WE HAVE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS. WE SAW THEM WORK OVER THE SUMMER WHEN THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS WAS MUCH MORE LOCALIZED, AND WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE SPREAD WITH LIMITS ON BARS AND RESTAURANTS. WE’VE SEEN IT WORK IN MANY PART OF THE WORLD. FOR EXAMPLE, MITIGATION STRATEGIES HAS SUBSTANTIALLY SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS DURING THIS CURRENT WAVE IN FRANCE, GERMANY, AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIE MIKE: ALTHOUGH DOCTOR BOGEN DID NOT ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC STATEWIDE MITIGATION PLAN COMING TOMORROW, SHE DID SAY THOSE COUNTRIES PUTTING LIMITS ON PRIVATE GATHERINGS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, SALONS, AND OTHER SUCCESSFULLY DECREASED THEIR NUMBERS. COUNTY EXECUTIVE RICH FITZGERALD DOES NOT CONSIDER THE IMPENDING RESTRICTIONS A COMPLETE STATE WIDE SHUTDOWN. >> I THINK WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC IS MORE STRATEG STRATEGIES TO ISOLATE WHERE THE RISKY BEHAVIOR OR THE RISKY POTENTIAL EXISTS. SO I THINK THE TERM SHUTDOWN IS MUCH TOO STRONG. I THINK WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT LIMITING CERTAIN GATHERINGS NUMBERS AND ACTIVITIES AND TIMES IN THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. MIKE: AS A FORMER BUSINESS OWNER HIMSELF, FITZGERALD SAID ELECTED LEADERS MAKE THESE MITIGATION DECISIONS WITH A LOT OF ANGST, KNOWING HOW THEY DEEPLY AFFECT CERTAIN BUSINESSES, WORKERS, AND FAMILIES. HE SAID NO ONE WANTS TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO INSIDE THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND HOMES, BUT HE SAID IT’S ALL ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE, AND