PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania will lift almost all of its COVID-19 mitigation orders at the end of the month.
The Wolf administration announced on Tuesday that all mitigation orders except masking will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Memorial Day (Monday, May 31).
That applies to capacity limits on gyms, bars, movie theaters, salons and other entertainment venues.
State health officials say the masking order will stay in place until 70% of Pennsylvanians over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated, which is about 7.1 million people.
Currently, about 4.25 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated, meaning there are still 2.85 million adults 18 and older who would need to get vaccinated.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is recommending Pennsylvanians follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping with that guidance, fully vaccinated people are not required to wear masks during certain activities.
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The department also said the update does not prevent municipalities and school districts from continuing and implementing stricter mitigation efforts.
Philadelphia, for example, will keep its current restrictions on indoor dining, catered events and large events like professional sports, but city officials say they are reviewing their policies.
With event and gathering limits being lifted, the Pennsylvania Health and Education departments are reminding school district officials to consider the impacts on graduation and other end-of-year events, encouraging schools “to remain vigilant and maintain other mitigation strategies.”
The department also said other requirements, such as testing or reporting new cases, will remain in place for hospitals and long-term care facilities. Health officials say that will allow them to monitor COVID-19 spread while lifting other restrictions.
“With millions of Pennsylvanians getting vaccinated, it’s time to plan the transition back to normal,” said Philadelphia-based state Sen. Art Haywood. “Hospitalizations and deaths are down. This action today is a key step forward.”
“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,” added acting Health Secretary Alison Beam. “I encourage Pennsylvanians to take the critical steps needed to put this pandemic behind us by getting vaccinated, follow through with both doses if you receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and continue to take steps like masking, frequent hand-washing and sanitizing, and social distancing.”