PA To Reopen Bars: What To Know

Norristown PA

17 March, 2021

12:35 PM

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PENNSYLVANIA — Some of the strictest coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania will soon be lifted, Gov. Wolf announced this week, a small step toward restoring normalcy as more and more of the population is vaccinated. The new, eased restrictions will not go into effect until April 4. Some of the most notable changes include the continuation of bar service and seating, increasing indoor dining capacity to 75 percent, and removing the 11 p.m. last call curfew. Mask-wearing and social distancing requirements still apply. Officials pointed both to declining case rates and the immunization efforts, and suggested once again that the end of the pandemic is in sight. "Pennsylvanians have stepped up and done their part of help curb the spread of COVID-19," Gov. Wolf said in a statement. "The number of people getting vaccinated increases daily and we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It's time to allow our restaurants, bars and other service businesses to get back to more normal operations." This comes along with even more expanded capacity for indoor and outdoor mass gatherings; events can now be held at 25 percent capacity indoors, and 50 percent capacity outdoors. Restrictions on the hospitality industry have been among the most controversial facets of pandemic shutdown orders, both in Pennsylvania and across the nation. At the height of the fall surge of the pandemic, Wolf's administration shut down indoor dining to stop the spread of the virus. Hundreds of establishments protested, even forming an online directory of businesses that were standing in open defiance. In return, the state enforced the orders, and dozens of restaurants were ordered to close for refusing to comply with safety measures. Now, the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association says they're relieved, but argues that the eased restrictions should go into place now, not on April 4, "especially while neighboring states have been taking action in a timelier fashion." "We would like to see the Governor allow the hospitality industry the opportunity to come back to the business quicker, so that these businesses can survive this long period of disruption," the Association said in a statement this week. The relaxed restrictions have also come with concerns, as many hospitality workers are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. On Tuesday, Senior Health Advisor Lindsey Mauldin said there were no plans to move hospitality workers into 1B, which should begin to receive vaccine at the end of March. But, she said, "we're going to move through 1B and 1C a lot faster than 1A." But there's optimism that the environment will be far safer than it has been. In addition to vaccinations, the presence of the virus has steadily dropped for months now, with all key metrics showing significant improvements since early January. "Our case counts continue to go down, hospitalizations are declining, and the percent positivity rate gets lower every week – all very positive signs," Gov. Wolf added. Of course, there is still some measure of local control which can be exercised over these changes; the state announcement simply opens up the possibility for counties to follow suit. In Philadelphia, health officials have not yet made such an announcement, citing more concerning numbers in the city itself. "We're still concerned about the high, and possibly rising, COVID rates," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said. "The numbers are quite high." Farley said officials are reviewing the state's new guidelines and will make a decision later this week on how to move ahead. Here are the key points of the changes announced by the state this week, effective April 4: Bar seating allowedAlcohol service allowed past 11 p.m.Alcohol purchase allowed without the purchase of foodCurfew for removing alcoholic drinks from tables is liftedIndoor dining capacity raised to 75 percentOther businesses can also reopen at 75 percent capacity, including casinos, gyms, theaters, malls, and other facilities