蘑菇视频

Jul 15, 2020 5 min read

An “unsettling climb” in COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania led Gov. Tom Wolf to reinstitute statewide restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants and bars, and other indoor gatherings.

“When we hit our peak on April 9, we had nearly 2,000 new cases that day with other days’ cases hovering around 1,000. Medical experts looking at the trajectory we are on now are projecting that this new surge could soon eclipse the April peak. With our rapid case increases we need to act again now,” Wolf said Wednesday.

Across the state, effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, restaurant, wineries, breweries and bars that serve food are limited to 25% indoor capacity. Bars that do not serve food will be prohibited from conducting operations, even if they have outdoor areas for alcohol service.

Additional food service-related restrictions include:

n Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving take-out sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.

n Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.

n Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.

n Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.

n Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.

Wolf said the mitigation efforts are targeted at the ways contact tracing has shown the virus tends to be spreading.

“This is the virus speaking,” he said. “The virus makes the rules.”

In addition to the food service-related restrictions, other indoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people, while outdoor gatherings will remain at 250. That limit does not apply to religious institutions, state officials said.

Wolf’s executive order also notes that unless it is not possible, all businesses are required to conduct operations in whole or in part through telework.

Wolf tied to the increased spread of COVID-19 to three factors: those who have not been wearing masks or social distancing at bars and restaurants; out-of-state travel by Pennsylvanians or those from other states coming to Pennsylvania; lack of national coordination on mitigation efforts.

“Other states have become petri dishes for COVID-19 at a time we here in Pennsylvania were working hard to suppress the spread,” Wolf said, noting spread from states in the west, south and southwest. “We don’t want to become Florida. We don’t want to become Texas. We don’t want to become Arizona. We have to act now.”

State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said there have been “alarming increases” in virus cases in those ages 19-49.

Levine said that is how the disease transmission cycle started in March.

“The actions that the governor and I are taking today are designed to be surgical and precise to prevent repeating the cycle that we saw in the spring,” she said. “We know what will happen if we hold fast and wait until cases rise exponentially before taking action: the numbers would continue to increase, and our entire state would potentially have to quarantine.”

Wolf and Levine both stressed the importance of abiding by masking orders, maintaining social distance and practicing good hygiene.

“As much as our efforts are about laws and mandates and orders for safety, they’re also about your choices,” Levine said. “Pennsylvanians want to be at work. Pennsylvania’s children want to go back to school. But it is our actions, as a community, that will impact our ability and their ability to do those things.”

Local DOH data updates reported between Tuesday and Wednesday include:

COVID-19 cases

Fayette County:聽220 cases (+7); 6,563 negative tests; four deaths (no change)

Greene County:聽75 cases (+3); 1,868 negative tests; no deaths

Washington County:聽494 cases (+29); 11,252 negative tests; six deaths (no change)

Westmoreland County:聽1,033 cases (+23); 23,112 negative tests; 39 deaths (no change)

Allegheny County:聽5,364 cases (+331); 81,645 negative tests; 201 deaths (+2)

Pennsylvania:聽97,665 cases (+994); 870,984 negative tests; 6,957 deaths (+26)

Long-term care living facilities

Fayette County:聽four facilities; seven cases in residents; six in employees; one death

Greene County:聽one facility; two cases in residents; one in employees; no deaths

Washington County:聽eight facilities; 11 cases in residents; five in employees; two deaths

Westmoreland County:聽18 facilities; 151 cases in residents; 47 in employees; 29 deaths

Allegheny County:聽54 facilities; 591 cases in residents; 195 in employees; 159 deaths

Pennsylvania:聽763 facilities; 18,384 cases in residents; 3,517 in employees; 4,767 deaths

For additional information, visit health.pa.gov.