PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Starting Sunday, visitor centers, museums and indoor exhibit areas will reopen to the public across all Pennsylvania state parks, which have been shuttered for a year by coronavirus restrictions.
Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said Gov. Tom Wolf and state health officials have given her the green light to begin reopening buildings and restarting some activities.
“We have some great interpretive areas and visitor centers and little museums in various parks,” Dunn said. “They’ll be opening up with a capacity at 75%. So, we’ll maintain a distance and safety, but 75% capacity will allow us to kind of operate normally, in many cases.”
Masks will be required and hand sanitizing stations will be available.
Dunn said guided nature walks lead by staff and volunteers will also resume.
“We’ll keep it a little smaller than we had in the past,” she added. “Forty participants per program, including the instructors. And, of course, wear the mask and keep a social distance. But this can be done safely outdoors.”
Dunn also authorized volunteer groups and friends’ organizations at the parks to carry on with their activities, though they must follow gathering limits of no more than 40 people and comply with COVID-19 safety protocols.