The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is reopening some stores, in a limited fashion, to customers in counties in the northern part of the state that are in the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan.
The PLCB board announced Wednesday that beginning Friday, 77 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores will resume limited in-store public access, following Mr. Wolf’s guidance for social distancing requirements and other best practices at businesses to mitigate the risks and spread of COVID-19.
All the stores will be cleaned and sanitized first, and will be outfitted with clear plastic barriers separating customers and workers at checkout. Workers will wear masks and gloves.
Customers also will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, which will be communicated by signs in the stores. Signs also will direct one-way movement in aisles and discourage touching products unless the customer is purchasing them. No returns will be allowed.
No more than 25 people at a time —customers and workers -—will be permitted in a store, and smaller stores will have smaller limits. The first hour will be reserved for customers who are high-risk for COVID-19, including those who are 65 and older. Other customers are asked to shop later.
Locations of the 77 stores break down like this: four in Bradford County, six in Centre County, two in Clarion County, five in Clearfield County, two in Clinton County, four in Crawford County, two in Elk County, 15 in Erie County, two in Jefferson County, four in Lawrence County, seven in Lycoming County, two in McKean County, five in Mercer County, one in Montour County, four in Northumberland County, one in Potter County, one in Snyder County, one in Sullivan County, three in Tioga County, two in Union County, three in Venango County and one in Warren County. The full is available at the PCLB website.
These stores will continue, as much as possible, offering curbside pickup, as will be the case at most of the system’s nearly 600 stores. Statewide curbside pickup sales from April 20 through May 5 totaled nearly 381,000 orders for $29.1 million in sales, including sales tax, according to preliminary, unaudited figures, the PLCB said. Customers also may continue to shop online at finewineandgoodspirits.com.
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: May 6, 2020, 2:09 p.m.
Updated: May 6, 2020, 2:09 p.m.