Relaxed COVID-19 restrictions ‘step in the right direction’ for indoor venues
Herald-Standard
Lady Luck Casino
Herald-Standard
Erica Miller, executive director for the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown, said loosening restrictions is a welcome move. The theatre is in the planning stages to hold its “Summer at the State” musical series.
Organizations that host indoor events are hopeful that the easing of state COVID-19 restrictions will allow them to offer more opportunities to welcome the public into their buildings.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement Monday that bumps restaurant capacity to 75% and allows indoor entertainment venues to admit 25% of their building capacity will bring in events that have been otherwise canceled for the past year.
Erica Miller, executive director for the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown, said it’s a good first step after the coronavirus pandemic dropped the curtain on many of their events over the past year.
“It’s hopeful,” Miller said. “It shows a sign that things are going to reopen eventually. Perhaps the guidelines will continue to ease up and allow more access to people to the building.”
Thanks to some of those restrictions being eased beginning April 4, the theater will host several local dance studios that want to hold a dance recital for parents. That will be held at the end of the month and could invite around 375 people inside, which is one-quarter of the theater’s 1,500-person capacity.
“While that is still somewhat restricting because it is 25% for the whole building – which includes performers, staff, audience and volunteers – it does take us to a place where at least these dance studios can hold recitals with some people in the audience to make the show worthwhile for them as well,” she said.
Miller said they’re also looking to hold their “Summer at the State” musical series, although that’s still in the planning stages and they’re not ready to announce dates or shows. Regardless, the theater will have to continue following social distancing and mask guidelines for anyone in attendance.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Miller said.
Tyler Kurosky, program director of the Uniontown Area YMCA, is also taking small steps as they offer more activities and amenities. Workout classes have been limited to just 10 people, but that number will grow to a dozen in April.
“We’ve followed the same restrictions we have been. In some areas, we’re allowing more people in, but with the same mask restrictions,” he said. “No huge changes. We’re just kind of easing into things.”
But the child care center, which has been closed since last March, will reopen to give members “a little stress free time” while they workout. The YMCA will also open up its summer camps beginning in June to more kids, Kurosky said, after limiting it to just 30 children per day last year.
“This year, we won’t have a cap, so we’re hoping to get a lot of kids signed up as well,” he said.
The eased restrictions also allow places that serve alcohol to seat people at the bar. That will help Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin in Farmington, which couldn’t serve drinks to players on the floor or at the bar.
“That ban on alcohol has been one of the biggest hurdles we’ve had,” Lady Luck Vice President and General Manager Gary Hendricks said. “That’s been the biggest impact on our business. Not being able to get alcohol to our players. Gamblers like to drink.”
During those restrictions, the restaurant was shut down and “grab and go” meals were served from the bar. They’ll now be able to serve alcohol to people playing video gambling machines embedded into the bar, although players will still have to follow social distancing guidelines.
The increased indoor capacity to 75% won’t make that much a difference because they have to keep people separated, but it could allow them to add more tables to the restaurant and open a few more gaming machines that were previously closed.
“It’s a major improvement over where we’ve been for the past year or so,” Hendricks said.