Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on Wednesday said he is directing $145 million to the state’s general fund for grants and loans for businesses, especially restaurants and bars, that have been hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wolf, making the announcement in a news conference, said the money would be appropriated by the state General Assembly into grants for businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic.
The money would be transferred from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s Workers’ Compensation Security Fund and put into the state’s general fund. but it’s only one part of the process to provide the funding. The Republican-led General Assembly must also approve the funding. The General Assembly doesn’t return to Harrisburg until the first week of January, so there are no details yet as to how quickly the money could be approved.
“I’m hoping they can move on this fairly quickly,” Wolf said. “This is something I don’t think will be a controversial issue.”
Wolf stressed the importance of $145 million reaching the businesses hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and the orders that have followed by the governor and the Department of Health to control the spread.
“Clearly they have been hit very hard by this, and it’s no fault of their own,” Wolf said. “They should not have to weather this storm alone.”
Earlier this month, Wolf imposed temporary restrictions, including a three-week ban on indoor dining at restaurants. Wolf also has ordered the closure of entertainment venues, including casinos, theaters and concert halls. Retailers and most other businesses are restricted to 50 percent of indoor capacity under the temporary restrictions.
The temporary measures are set to expire Jan. 4, and Wolf said Wednesday that he doesn’t plan to change that deadline for the expiration of the restrictions.
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