By Bill OBoyle and The Associated Press boboyle@timesleader.com
Gov. Tom Wolf speaks in Philadelphia on Monday during a news conference encouraging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Wolf’s administration, in coordination with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, announced Tuesday that mitigation orders will be lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, at 12:01 a.m.
Matt Rourke | AP photo Listen to this
The marquee at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza reminds the public to wear a face mask during the pandemic. The Wolf administration, in coordination with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, announced that mitigation orders except masking will be lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, at 12:01 a.m.
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Gov. Tom Wolf lifting COVID-19 restrictions starting Memorial Day May 4, 2021
2:29 pm
Pennsylvania will lift all COVID-19 restrictions except the order to wear a mask in public on Memorial Day, the Wolf administration announced.
The decision to no longer restrict capacity on restaurants, bars or indoor and outdoor gatherings on May 31 was made in partnership with the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force.
Pennsylvanians will continue to be required to wear masks until 70% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the commonwealth. Fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks in certain situations, however, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More details on masking for those already vaccinated can be found here.
The announcement arrived with little fanfare, via news release, even as Gov. Tom Wolf planned to sweep aside pandemic measures he imposed last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 1.2 million and killed more than 26,000 statewide.
Officials said the time was right to lift nearly all restrictions. The latest wave of infections and hospitalizations has started to ebb, and more than 50% of the state’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
“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 (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) evolves, we can continue to move forward with our reopening efforts,” Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said in the statement.