Updated: April 24, 2020
The following information is from Governor Wolf’s website that we have summarized as a guide for re-opening businesses in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf, announced on Wednesday, April 22nd, his plans and phases for re-opening Pennsylvania, which is tentatively slated for May 8th. However, Gov. Wolf’s plans are by region and data, so the whole state will not be re-opening on May 8th.
Gov. Wolf and his team have been monitoring a public dashboard that tracks and shows the hospital’s capacities in terms of beds and ventilators. You can find the dashboard here: Hospital Preparedness Dashboard
The commonwealth is also working with Carnegie Mellon University to develop a “data-driven decision support tool that will enable a balance between maximizing the results of our economy while minimizing public health risks.” (https://www.governor.pa.gov/process-to-reopen-pennsylvania/?fbclid=IwAR0bGd59larus7uksycJqIFKqsROQjMfVJ0Tj-OYmBFeoCxkT5gAJNsPLQc)
Gov. Wolf and his team are also determining the availability of testing, population density, and healthcare resources to determine when the proper time is to re-open certain regions.
Phases of Re-Opening Pennsylvania
Gov. Wolf’s phases are color-coded. The colors are red, yellow, and green. Currently, we are in the Red Phase where there are stay-at-home orders, non-essential businesses are closed, and large gatherings are prohibited.
Phase Yellow
The next phase, Yellow Phase, will lift some of the restrictions from the red phase, while some of them will stay in place. However, even though some of the businesses can re-open, some will still remain closed during the Yellow Phase, like gyms and casinos, which is slightly different from the phases that President Trump and the White House put out.
In Phase Yellow, telework is supposed to continue where it is able to, a business that need in-person operations can open while following building and safety orders and child care can open while following certain orders. Large gatherings over 25 people are restricted, in-person retail is allowed, but it is strongly recommended that curbside and delivery options are still used, restaurants and bars are still limited to take-out and delivery, and indoor recreation and health and wellness areas such as gyms and spas and entertainment such as casinos, will remain closed.
Phase Green
The third phase, Green Phase, will allow all businesses to be opened, but they still must follow the CDC and PA Department of Health Guidelines. There will be no more social restrictions, but individuals must still follow the CDC and PA Department of Health Guidelines.
