May 8, 2020 5 min read

Fayette, Greene, Washington, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties will be among those areas that will partially reopen on May 15.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that 13 southwestern counties would be added to the list of so-called yellow areas in his three-phase reopening plan.

Other area counties on the list are Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fulton, Indiana and Somerset. Beaver County was the only southwestern county left off the reopening list, meaning the stay-at-home order and other mitigation efforts will continue there.

“I’m excited about going to yellow, preferably green, but it gets business and everyone back in line, up and operational after too much of a loss,” said Fayette County Commissioner Chairman Dave Lohr. “I think it’s a big step in the right direction.”

He acknowledged concerns for a spike in cases as the county reopens, which Wolf has said could force an area to revert to stay-at-home orders and non-life-sustaining business closures.

Commissioner Vincent Vicites said he was disappointed that Fayette County had not been upgraded to yellow last week, but said he had stayed in constant communication with the governor’s office about case numbers.

“We have to get our county moving again and getting our business open, and this is the first step,” he said.

Vicites said everyone must still exercise caution, but said that all of the sacrifices made by residents helped to stop a steep rise in cases in the county.

“Everyone is commended for their actions,” Commissioner Scott Dunn said of the steps local residents have taken.

Dunn said the county has taken a huge financial hit from stay-at-home and closure orders, but noted it’s evident that the virus is especially dangerous to the elderly and the chronically ill.

“We have to address those issues rather than keeping businesses closed,” Dunn said.

The move to reopen local counties also drew praise from state legislators.

“While I believe these guidelines should be effective immediately, thus we can begin to breathe life into our economy once again, some hope is coming to our small business communities in crisis,” state Rep. Matthew Dowling, R-Uniontown, wrote in a Facebook post following the announcement. “Again, this is a small step that is long overdue, but I look forward to seeing our counties move to the green phase of reopening as soon as possible.”

Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, said the partial reopening will help struggling businesses that have been shuttered or had their operations severely limited. But, she said, residents should still exercise caution.

“The last thing we want to do is to go back to red, so it’s vital that each one of us follows the necessary precautions to protect each other as we continue to move forward toward the green designation.”

Last week, Wolf designated 24 counties in northwest and north central Pennsylvania to reopen Friday, May 8.

As he announced the additional 13 counties that would join them, Wolf said the reopening plan “is not a one-way route.”

“We are closely monitoring the 24 counties in the yellow phase, and we will reimpose restrictions if danger arises,” he said.

Wolf also acknowledged the frustration that shuttered businesses feel, in response to a question about what he would say to those business owners who’ve said they’ll reopen even if not permitted to do so.

“The frustration has to be directed at the real enemy here. It’s the virus, it’s not the regulation,” he said. “In anything we do to bring people together, whether it’s employees or customers, or both, we’re making it easier for that virus to actually attack and infect people and we’re jeopardizing their health. Ultimately that’s what our individual decisions have to come down to.”

Fayette County’s case numbers have remained fairly stagnant in the past two weeks, with nine new cases reported since April 24.

Greene County’s case increase in cases has been even smaller. Between April 24 and Friday, two new cases were reported.

As of Friday, Fayette had 84 COVID-19 cases while Greene had 27.

The change in designation from red to yellow means many businesses deemed non-life-sustaining will be able to reopen, and the number of people allowed to gather will be increased to 25. Masking will no longer be mandatory, but state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine has repeatedly stressed the importance of continuing to wear one to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Businesses that must continue to suspend in-person operations include indoor recreation, health and wellness facilities, personal care services, indoor malls and all entertainment venues. Among those, according to state guidance, are hair or nail salons, gyms, tattoo or piercing shops, casinos, amusement parks and carnivals.

Also under the yellow designation, restaurants and bars must continue to conduct only take-out or delivery operations.

More information on business regulations for those counties transitioning to the yellow phase are available on pa.gov. Additional general COVID-19 information can be found at health.pa.gov.