Under her authority as Secretary of the Department of Health to take any disease control measure appropriate to protect the public from the spread of infectious disease, Dr. Rachel Levine on Sunday signed an order providing direction for maintaining and cleaning buildings for businesses authorized to maintain in-person operations under her and the governor’s life-sustaining business orders announced March 19.

According to the Building Safety Measures order, “Cleaning, disinfecting, and other maintenance and security services performed by building service employees are critical to protecting the public health by reducing COVID-19 infections in the commonwealth.”

“Based upon the manner of COVID-19’s spread in the commonwealth and in the world, and its danger to Pennsylvanians, I have determined that the appropriate disease control measure is the direction of building safety measures as outlined in this order to prevent and control the spread of disease,” Levine wrote.

The measures outlined in the order are for owners of buildings of at least 50,000 square feet used for commercial, industrial or other enterprises, including but not limited to facilities for warehousing, manufacturing, commercial offices, airports, grocery stores, universities, colleges, government, hotels, and residential buildings with at least 50 units.

In addition to maintaining pre-existing cleaning protocols, the order outlines these new protocols:

• Clean and disinfect high-touch areas routinely in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, in spaces that are accessible to customers, tenants or other individuals.

• Maintain pre-existing cleaning protocols established in the facility for all other areas of the building.

• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of employees to perform the above protocols effectively and in a manner that ensures the safety of occupants and employees.

• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of security employees to control access, maintain order, and enforce social distancing of at least 6 feet, provided the security employees are otherwise responsible for such enforcement.

The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m., April 6.

In other coronavirus developments over the weekend:

Faith gatherings

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and as significant religious holidays approach in the coming weeks, Gov. Tom Wolf and religious leaders from across the commonwealth are encouraging alternative forms of faith gatherings.

Wolf and Levine updated the stay-at-home order guidance to reflect the need for further guidance for religious gatherings.

Updated guidance notes that while nothing in the stay-at-home order should affect the operation of religious institutions, “Religious leaders are encouraged to find alternatives to in-person gatherings and to avoid endangering their congregants. Individuals should not gather in religious buildings or homes for services or celebrations until the stay-at-home order is lifted.”

“I know that we’re nearing several holidays, including major religious holidays like Easter and Passover,” Wolf said. “I am encouraging religious leaders hosting a holiday celebration to consider an alternative that does not bring people together in-person.

“As a person of faith, I understand how important it is to worship, and that congregating, whether for a service or Seder dinner, can be at the very core of one’s faith. But I also understand how important it is to help neighbors, and the best way to help our neighbors right now is not by congregating. It’s by staying at home.”

Resource for manufacturers

The Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin announced Saturday the creation of the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Call to Action Portal, which will mobilize manufacturers that are producing COVID-19-related products and supplies or can pivot to producing COVID-19-related supplies.

“As we work to protect public health and safety and create a robust supply chain, we know that there are manufacturers across the commonwealth who are willing and able to help,” Davin said. “This portal will help facilitate the connections businesses need to get critical COVID-19-related products to market or retrofit their operations to begin production of those products.”

The portal was developed through a joint effort between DCED, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, IRC Network, Life Sciences PA, Pennsylvania Life Sciences Greenhouses, and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.