Pa. Ag Officials Talk About Enforcing Pandemic Health Orders

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said Feb. 24 that it has been “deputized” to enforce public health orders stemming from the pandemic as restaurants and other establishments flout operating restrictions.

As such, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said the department has responded to nearly 9,800 complaints related to COVID-19 orders, out of which 11 establishments have faced civil penalties and another 149 were closed by order of the Department of Health.

“We’ve been sort of deputized by the Department of Health,” he said during the department’s budget hearing with the House Appr...