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Support of Businesses by the State of PA with Katie Muth

Support of Businesses by the State of PA with Katie Muth

Podcast published: July 31, 2020

With businesses re-opened, and as schools across Pennsylvania consider how best to re-open, many business owners and leaders are looking for answers and support from the government at many levels. We spoke with Senator Katie Muth, the PA Senator for the 44th District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We discussed how the State of PA is working to support businesses in Chester County and the greater Philadelphia area.

Links

Notes

Where does Sen. Muth get health information about COVID-19?

Challenges of Reopening in Pennsylvania

What is PA doing to ensure employee and customer safety in efforts to reopen the economy?

  • In our conversation with the Victory Brewing Company, we learned about how Victory’s customers were concerned about how other customers would respond to health guidelines.
  • Most steps from the State of PA have happened through Executive Order
  • Enforcement of health guidelines around wearing masks can be very confusing
    • In the State of PA, 20% of non-compliance is 2 million people
    • We can legislate deterrence to behavior
    • Public “shame train” can help, but the State of PA needs to find ways to support good operators
  • Working to address personal protection equipment (PPE) shortages in the state
    • PPE is not widely manufactured in the United States
    • The State is now working to encourage PA manufacturers to produce PPE
    • The State is working to have tests produced locally
    • The State is coordinating with tech companies to produce a contact tracing system
  • 1/3 of countries across Pennsylvania are experiencing an increased positivity rate of COVID-19, including Chester County

How is the State of PA supporting working parents with school age children?

  • That’s a work-in-progress at the state level
  • Over 170 day care centers have closed since COVID-19 started
  • There are real challenges in working from home and teaching

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