Pennsylvanians are being asked to comply with stricter mitigation efforts announced Dec. 10 in addition to existing orders for the next three weeks, as Covid cases continue to rise.
Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Rachel Levine announced the additional measures, scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 12 and remain active until 8 a.m. Jan. 4, 2021.
Keller Marine and RV President Mike Keller announced shortly after that the restrictions on gatherings of no more than 10 people meant the company’s December trade show in Hershey would be canceled.
“Obviously, that does not work for a show,” Keller said.
The trade show was scheduled to take place Dec. 15-16.
“Each of the last two days we have reported the highest number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic,” Levine stated. “In the past week, we have reported close to 1,100 new deaths from COVID-19 across Pennsylvania. The virus continues to strain our health care systems and the dramatic rise in cases among all age groups, including among school-age children, is alarming. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 37,500 cases among children age 5 to 18, yet 9,500 of those cases occurred in the past two weeks.”
Under the new orders, all in-person businesses serving the public may operate at 50 percent capacity.
“With these measures in place, we hope to accomplish three goals: First, stop the devastating spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth,” Wolf stated. “Second, keep our hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed. And third, help Pennsylvanians get through the holiday season, and closer to a widely available vaccine, as safely as possible. This is a bridge to a better future in Pennsylvania.”
Additional provisions include the following:
- All in-person indoor dining at restaurants, bars, social clubs and private catered events are prohibited.
- Outdoor dining, take-out food service and take-out alcohol sales are permitted, but subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law, the governor or Secretary of Health.
- Indoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.
- Churches and places of worship are specifically excluded from the above limitations during religious services. These institutions are strongly encouraged to find alternate service methods.
- Outdoor gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited.
“The work we do now to slow the spread of COVID-19 is not only crucial to keeping our fellow Pennsylvanians safe and healthy,” Wolf stated. “It will help all of us get back to normal, and back to all of the things we’ve missed, faster. And it means more Pennsylvanians will be alive to celebrate that brighter future. This year, we show our love for our families and friends by celebrating safely and protecting one another.”
