UPDATED: State Increases COVID-19 Restrictions For Bars, Eateries, Gyms & Events

UPDATED: 4:20 p.m., Wednesday: 

Amid a statewide uptick in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced “targeted mitigation efforts” that will go into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m.

The state announced the following restrictions:

Bars and Restaurants

All businesses in the retail food services industry, including restaurants, wineries, breweries, private clubs, and bars, are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales of food, 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, as required by the order, including:

• Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving take-out sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.
• Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.
• Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.
• Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
• Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.
• Occupancy is limited to 25 percent of stated fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining, or 25 persons for a discrete indoor event or gathering in a restaurant. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Nightclubs

• All nightclubs, as defined by the Clean Indoor Air Act, 35 P.S. § 637.2, are prohibited from conducting operations.

Other events and gatherings

Events and gatherings must adhere to these gathering limitations:

• Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.
• Outdoor events and gatherings of more than 250 persons are prohibited.
• The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Teleworking

• Unless not possible, all businesses are required to conduct their operations in whole or in part remotely through individual teleworking of their employees in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which they do business.
• Where telework is not possible, employees may conduct in-person business operations, provided that the businesses fully comply with all substantive aspects of the business safety order, the worker safety order, and the masking order.

Gyms and fitness facilities

• All gyms and fitness facilities, while permitted to continue indoor operations, are directed to prioritize outdoor physical fitness activities. All activities must follow masking requirements as provided by the July 1 order, and must provide for social distancing requirements of persons being at least 6 feet apart, as well as being limited by any limitations related to gatherings.

While Bucks County has not seen a large rise in COVID-19 cases in the past week, other parts of the state have and some counties increased their mitigation measures.

“During the past week, we have seen an unsettling climb in new COVID-19 cases,” Wolf said at a press conference. “When we hit our peak on April 9, we had nearly two thousand new cases that day with other days’ cases hovering around 1,000. Medical experts looking at the trajectory we are on now are projecting that this new surge could soon eclipse the April peak. With our rapid case increases we need to act again now.”

The latest mitigation efforts are much more limited than the March measures that paralyzed the economy but helped case numbers and hospitalizations drop over months.

“We can halt this momentum in its tracks. Gov. Wolf’s measures will help stop the continued spread of the virus into Pennsylvania and its surrounding states, which would threaten the reopening of schools and our economy in the coming months,” Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said during the press conference.

In the time since COVID-19 began impacting large numbers of Pennsylvanians, doctors have learned more about the virus and safety guidelines and measures have been improved and clarified. For example, masking guidelines have expanded after officials initially said the general public did not need face coverings.

With the new measures, the governor’s office said businesses and individuals that violate the orders could face “fines, business closure or other applicable enforcement measures.”

Recently, state health officials noticed three “catalysts” for case count increases. They were: ignorance of the mask requirements, travel to and from hot spot states, and a “lack of national coordination” among states.

The governor’s office stressed that small gatherings in backyards and a parks are acceptable. They also noted that residents are “encouraged” to enjoy gyms and state parks as long as people are following safety procedures.

“We want people to spend time together, but to do so while practicing social distancing and wearing masks when required, such as any time you leave your home and are not participating in outdoor fitness,” Wolf said.

The governor thanked residents for their “continued patience” and assistance in keeping residents safe and businesses open.

Original Story: 

Pennsylvania plans to implement new COVID-19 mitigation measures for bars and restaurants, events, and fitness facilities.

In a planned afternoon press conference, Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine are expected to announce increased statewide measures that will begin Thursday at 12:01 a.m., sources with knowledge of the announcement told LevittownNow.com.

The new restrictions will go into effect Thursday, July 16 at 12:01 a.m., according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

The state began their COVID-19 reopening in phases and county-by-county starting in early May. Bucks County moved to the least restrictive “green” phase by the end of June.

Pennsylvania Department of Health data shows new COVID-19 case numbers dropping into June and then an uptick that continued into July. While Bucks County has not seen a massive jump that other counties have, worrying increases in the western portion forced some counties to imposed enhanced mitigation measures.

As of Monday night, Bucks County had been averaging about 22 new cases per day.

Many states, including ones that ended mitigation measures earlier than Pennsylvania, have seen huge increases in the number of cases, causing strains on medical systems.

Below are the new restrictions that were obtained by Erie News Now:

• All bars are prohibited from conducting operations unless they offer sit-down, dine-in meals.
• Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the the same transaction as a meal.
• All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.
• Take-out sales of alcohol for the premises of off-site consumption are permitted, subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.
• For purposes of the order, occupancy requirements are:
  • Limited to 25 percent of state fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining.
  • A discrete indoor event or gathering in a business in the retail food services industry is limited to 25 persons.

Restaurants and private catered events

• For purposes of the order, occupancy requirements are:
  • Limited to 25 percent of state fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining.
  • A discrete indoor event or gathering in a business in the retail food services industry is limited to 25 persons.

All businesses in the retail food services industry, including restaurants, wineries and bars, are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales of food, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas so as along as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, as required by the order, including:

• Non-bar seating in outdoors areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
• Customers being served must be seated at a table.
• The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.
• Social distancing, masking and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.
• Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal. Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.

Nightclubs

• All nightclubs are prohibited from conducting operations.

Other events and gathering

Events and gatherings, other than those in businesses in the retail food services industry, must adhere to these gathering limitations:

• Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.
• Outdoor events and gatherings of more than 250 persons are prohibited.
• The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Teleworking

• Unless not possible, all businesses are required to conduct their operations in whole or in part remotely through individual teleworking of their employees in the jurisdiction(s) in which they do business.
• Where telework is not possible, employees may conduct in-person business operations, provided that the businesses fully comply with all substantive aspects of the business safety order, the worker safety order and the masking order.

Gyms and fitness facilities

• All gyms and fitness facilities, when permitted to continue indoor operations, are directed to prioritize outdoor physical fitness activities. All activities must follow masking requirements, as provided by the July 1 order, and must provide for social distancing requirements of persons being at least six feet apart, as well as being limited by any limitations related to.

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