As many Pittsburgh businesses shut down again, nearby counties try to avoid similar measures

Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper has a new part to her COVID-19-related messaging: Don’t be like Allegheny County.

That started after Allegheny County began reporting a spike in COVID-19 positive cases and eventually enacted stricter mitigation efforts, including a oneweek closure of bars, restaurants and casinos and a halt to events of more than 25 people.

On Monday, Allegheny County reported 218 new cases, bringing the total to 3,775 since the first case was diagnosed in mid-March. Erie recorded 11 new cases, bringing its total to 661.

Ms. Dahlkemper is using the second wave of shutdowns in Allegheny County as motivation to

stick to the guidelines.

“We don’t want to be like Allegheny County right now,” Ms. Dahlkemper said her administration is telling Erie County residents. “We don’t want to have to close down businesses that just recently opened, so help us do that.”

Since Allegheny County health officials announced the new measures last week, officials from surrounding counties have not moved to take similar steps. That’s partly because the COVID-19 case numbers there don’t warrant additional measures beyond the state guidelines, some officials said, and partly because officials in many neighboring counties don’t have the authority to make such mandates.

“We cannot make the same power move,” said Sean Kertes, chairman of the Westmoreland County Commissioners. “We are unable to restrict or modify the economy in any way.”

Westmoreland County, like other nearby counties, does not have the same county code as Allegheny County, Mr. Kertes said. That means local officials can’t make decisions that veer from what Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has enacted at the state level.

Westmoreland County also does not have its own health department. In fact, Allegheny County and Erie County are among the few counties that do have local health officials.

“When you really cannot make a decision about a problem or situation put on you, it’s very tough for the average citizen to really understand that we can’t modify what the state tells us,” Mr. Kertes said. “It’s like having a local council member telling the state what to do. Our authority is not there.”

With 828 cases since mid-March, Westmoreland County reported 27 new cases Monday, the second-highest increase in the region.

Even though the numbers are increasing, Mr. Kertes said the majority of residents are following safety guidelines, such as wearing a mask, and there is “no reason to be concerned.”

If changes need to be made, he said, the governor’s office will say so.

In Greene County, which borders West Virginia, local officials hope the Pennsylvania government does not make any blanket decisions for the region.

When the state first mandated business closures and stay-at-home orders, many leaders and residents felt their county was unfairly shut down, said Mike Belding, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners.

Greene County followed the same path as most of Western Pennsylvania, despite the county never reaching the same level of cases as neighboring areas, he said.

The businesses complied with orders, but that meant customers drove about 20 minutes into West Virginia to go shopping or get a haircut.

Mr. Belding said some estimates suggest 30% of the small businesses in Greene County won’t reopen.

“We’re not like other places; we haven’t seen that significant spike,” he said. “If we go backwards, we would like to be considered individually as a county and rewarded for our low numbers rather than punished with others.”

On Monday, Greene County reported three new cases for a total of 47. The county has not reported any deaths, Mr. Belding said.

“We are comfortable encouraging our residents and visitors just to conform to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health department standards, — and we’re not going any further than that,” he said.

“We think we’re doing something right, anyways,” he said.

In Erie County, Ms. Dahlkemper said the county would make any decisions about future mitigation efforts based on its own data.

Responding to a spike in cases at the beginning of June — which she blamed on Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and the start of summer — the county hired 18 new contact tracers.

Additionally, the local health department’s environmental division, which usually inspects restaurants and other facilities, has been focused on ensuring enforcement of safety and health guidelines specific to COVID-19 mitigation.

The pandemic could prompt more counties to move toward creating their own health departments, Ms. Dahlkemper said. Already, she has received a number of calls asking to share things like the department’s budget and staffing.

“We can do that, but when the pandemic’s over,” she said. “Right now, my staff is completely consumed.”