Wolf retrenches sweeping order, amid complaints, lawsuits
By MARC LEVY, MICHAEL RUBINKAM and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Under fire from business groups and Republican lawmakers and facing lawsuits over a broad shutdown order designed to slow the spreading coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration defended its actions as critical to preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed. But Wolf also made a series of concessions Friday with enforcement expected to soon begin. Late Thursday, Wolf directed all “non-life-sustaining” businesses to close their physical locations. Even before Thursday’s order, unemployment compensation filings in Pennsylvania this week smashed the state record. Pennsylvania has reported one death and more than 260 people sickened from the coronavirus so far.