Women-owned businesses are a significant force in the U.S. economy. A nationwide study released April 23 suggested many women owned businesses may not be getting their fair share of Paycheck Protection Program funding, and some have had to apply to more than one lender to be successful.

Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties will see limited continuation of in-person function of businesses while still abiding careful social distancing guidelines.

More than 150 independent physicians will receive incentives based on the quality of their service through a new partnership with Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna.

The stay-at-home order for the 43 counties that aren’t set to reopen on May 8 has been extended through June 4, according to a Thursday announcement from Gov. Tom Wolf.

The American Bus Association estimates that nationally, the motor coach industry and, in particular charter buses, will likely only return to around 25% capacity by the end of the year.

Hillsborough, New Jersey-based Larken Associates broke ground on a new project at its Dover Township, York County apartment complex that will add 107 residential units, two new buildings for residents and a series of renovations to the current complex.

BrainVessel Gallery, an art space based in Mechanicsburg, is hosting a May 8 online-only exposition for 16 local visual and music artists to generate revenue for the midstate art community. 

Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, has proposed legislation that would provide approximately $500 million to hospital systems to help lower the rate of COVID-19 related deaths in nursing and personal care homes.

Wolf’s moratorium extends an April ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that barred landlords and lenders from removing people from their residences due to inability to meet rent and mortgage payments through May 11. The governor’s executive order extends the same coverage through July 10.

Snowden said the company’s “mixed” first-quarter results have “reinforced” its “investment thesis” in Barstool Sports, which reportedly saw a 20% increase to its blog traffic and a 50% increase in video views. 

A new initiative from the Wolf administration to expand COVID-19 testing and contact tracing could help Pennsylvania’s safely reopen its economy and recover from the crisis caused by the virus.

Regional urgent care provider Patient First is offering telehealth appointments for its patients in Pennsylvania, and drive-up COVID-19 testing at a number of its locations in the state.

Springettsbury Township, York County-based K2 Kinetics is working with Apple to design new equipment that will help accelerate the manufacture of COVID-19 test kits for hospitals across the country.

An executive order signed by Gov. Tom Wolf offers health care providers immunity against medical malpractice suits related to treatment of COVID-19. The immunity is granted to any individual licensed, registered or certified to practice health care in the state.

If you’ve seen industrial-sized containers of soup and pasta at your local supermarket, that’s because regulators are addressing the state’s lopsided food supply chain by making it easier for customer-end vendors to sell excess products with relaxed labeling and distribution requirements.