Gov. Wolf to lift COVID-19 mitigation on Memorial Day except for mask mandate
The Gov. Tom Wolf administration said on May 4 it will lift COVID-19 mitigation on Memorial Day with the exception of the face mask order.
The face mask requirements will be lifted once 70% of adults are vaccinated against the virus and according to future guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state Health Department said.
“We continue to make significant progress in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19, and as more Pennsylvania adults get vaccinated and guidance from the CDC evolves, we can continue to move forward with our reopening efforts,” Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said in a news release.
Hitting that 70% threshold in order to remove the mask mandate may prove to be difficult, though, as vaccination rates appear to be declining.
The May 4 announcement will lead to the return to full capacity at restaurants and bars, something that has caused financial ruin to many businesses and countless job losses, said Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association.
“But now the time has come in which we can move into a full recovery mode. It’s time to make the comeback greater than the setback,” Moran said.
It should also help businesses in the entertainment industries that were mostly shuttered during the worst of the pandemic, officials said.
New cases and hospitalizations related to the virus were continuing to decrease in Pennsylvania, the state Health Department said.