Governor Tom Wolf announced today that Allegheny County, along with most of southwestern PA, will move to the green phase starting June 5.
The green phase will allow restaurants and bars to open at 50% capacity while allowing gyms, salons, barbershops and malls to open with restrictions (see below).
The 16 counties going green are: Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland. Beaver County remains yellow.
Philadelphia will move from red to yellow on June 5.
“The goal is to make sure that every Pennsylvanian is confident they’re going to be safe moving from one of these phases into the next,” said the Governor in a press conference with Dr. Rachel Levine.
Social distancing and wearing masks will be encouraged and events will be limited to 250 people.
From Governor Wolf’s website, specifics are included on those areas that have raised questions from business owners and residents, including:
• Personal care services, including hair salons and barbershops must operate by appointment only; appointments or reservations are also strongly encouraged for gyms or spas.
• Any gathering for a planned or spontaneous event of greater than 250 individuals is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, a concert, festival, fair, conference, sporting event, movie showing, or theater performance.
• Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and other places of congregate worship are specifically excluded from the limitations established by the order. These institutions are strongly encouraged to enforce social distancing and other mitigation measures such as masking at their gatherings.
• Visitation to prisons and hospitals may resume subject to the discretion of the facility. Visitors who interact with residents and patients must be diligent regarding hygiene. Given the critical importance of limiting COVID-19 exposure in nursing homes, nursing home visitation restrictions will initially remain in place.
• Retail food service businesses, including restaurants, and bars located in counties designated as being in the green phase are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas, so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, including maximum occupancy limits:
◦ Bar seating may be utilized if customers are seated and comply with physical distancing guideline of at least 6 feet or physical barriers between customers. Standing in a bar area will not be permitted.
◦ A maximum of four customers that have a common relationship may sit together at the bar, while adhering to the physical distancing guidelines or barriers between other customers.
• No business is required to conduct in-person operations and should not do so if unable to follow applicable guidance.