Gov. Wolf to End Ban on Indoor Dining, School Sports on Monday

Governor-Wolf-at-Sec-Levine-PEMA-2HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf intends to lift restrictions that temporarily halted indoor dining, shuttered gyms, casinos, and theaters, and suspended in-person sports and extracurricular activities at schools.

(By: Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA)

The short-term closures, which Wolf imposed on Dec. 12 to slow soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations around the state, will expire as planned at 8 a.m. on Monday, according to sources familiar with the plan. Other mitigation rules, including mandatory mask-wearing, will remain in effect.

After declining through the summer, new cases of COVID-19 reached record highs in the days after Thanksgiving. While daily infections have since begun to decline, public health officials are nonetheless bracing for a similar spike following travel and family gatherings during the winter holidays.

In announcing the restrictions, Wolf said the goal was to “keep our hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed” as cases surged. State data show that as of Tuesday, nearly a third of hospitals in the southwest, south-central, and southeast parts of the state anticipated staffing shortages.

Health-care workers at hospitals across the state started receiving vaccines Dec. 14, followed by staff and residents at nursing homes Monday. But the rollout is expected to take months, prioritizing the most vulnerable residents and front-line workers. Vaccines are not expected to reach the general public until the spring.

“This vaccination process will take some time, and it’s particularly dependent upon how much vaccine we receive each week from the federal government,” Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Monday. “It’s very important to avoid large gatherings and small gatherings as we approach New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. We cannot let our guard down.”

The temporary restrictions, in effect for the last three weeks, suspended indoor dining at restaurants and shut down entertainment facilities such as movie theaters, concert venues, casinos, and clubs, as well as gyms and fitness facilities.

Retail stores had to limit their indoor capacity to 50%, while any indoor events were limited to no more than 10 people. Outdoor events were limited to no more than 50 people. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship were not included in Wolf’s order.

In addition, both public and private schools had to halt in-person sports and extracurricular activities. Collegiate and professional sports organizations were not subject to Wolf’s temporary restrictions, although spectators were prohibited.

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