Gov. Wolf Orders Montco Schools Closed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — All schools, daycares, and many public places in Montgomery County have been shut down by order of Gov. Wolf, he announced during a press conference Thursday afternoon. The closures, which will begin Friday, will be in place for a minimum of two weeks.

The additional proactive measures are restricted to Montgomery County, which has a disproportionate number of all presumptive positive cases in Pennsylvania thus far. There are 13 cases in Montgomery County after four new cases were announced on Thursday. There are 22 in Pennsylvania, with 180 potential cases currently being tested as of Thursday afternoon, officials said.

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"The hope is that by doing this, we're going to avoid all the things that other places have experienced by drifting into much more serious problems," Gov. Wolf said, saying that decisive measures like this could help prevent community spread of the virus.

The announcement comes as many schools and colleges outside the county have already closed, amended schedules, and canceled activities. See the full list of school closures.

In addition to Montgomery County schools, Wolf's order also included the closure or cancellation of day cares, YMCAs, sporting events, community centers, concerts, gyms, theaters, entertainment venues, and other public places. He's strongly recommended all large public events and gatherings be canceled, and that stores that are not essential, like retail outlets, be closed.

The county's most critical infrastructure, like pharmacies, grocery stores, mass transit, and healthcare facilities, will remain open.

Amtrak will operating on a reduced schedule, officials said. Amtrak's Ardmore stop will shut down. The state is working with SEPTA to "evaluate potential impacts," but no major changes in service in Montgomery County have yet been announced.

No follow-up announcements have yet been made from the county's largest non-essential businesses, like the King of Prussia and Montgomery malls.

Gov. Wolf urged religious leaders to "use discretion" in holding events and gatherings to prevent the spread of illness.

The state capital building in Harrisburg has been closed to visitors, though there are no plans, as of yet, to close the legislature when it returns next Monday. However, all legislators from Montgomery County have been asked not to come to the capitol next week. These individuals will be able to cast votes remotely from home.

All non-essential, out-of-state and international travel for state workers has been canceled, as well as all mass work meetings.

As contact tracing for infected individuals gets underway, tents have been set up in Lower Providence to expand Montgomery County's testing ability. Testing is not yet underway there, and the move was called "pre-preparation" by local police.

Meanwhile, hospitals and local healthcare facilities are also ramping up their testing procedures.

The move comes as some Montgomery County schools had already taken several preventative measures, with closures or dismissals announced Thursday in Perkiomen Valley and Wissahickon before the state decree.

>>>PA Coronavirus Updates: Cases Up, Colleges Close, Events Canceled

Editor's note: this story previously incorrectly stated that all mass transit through Montgomery County would be shut down. This is incorrect; as of Thursday evening, there were only plans for the Ardmore Amtrak stop be closed. As the story notes above, Amtrak will operating on a reduced schedule, officials said. The state is working with SEPTA to "evaluate potential impacts," but no major changes in service in Montgomery County have yet been announced.