Pennsylvania lifts capacity restrictions for businesses, retail shops

Restaurants and businesses no longer have capacity limits or distancing requirements, but people who are unvaccinated are still required to wear masks indoors.

• By Maria Pulcinella/WHYY

(Philadelphia) — Pennsylvania on Monday is lifting most COVID-19 restrictions, as the number of daily coronavirus cases continues to decline and the number of vaccinations grows.

Restaurants and businesses no longer have capacity limits or distancing requirements, but people who are unvaccinated are still required to wear masks indoors. Occupancy limits have also been dropped for both indoor and outdoor events.

Pennsylvania previously lifted its indoor and outdoor mask mandates for fully vaccinated people.

The state’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted on Monday, June 28, or when 70% of adult residents are fully vaccinated — whichever comes first.

Once the statewide masking order is lifted, Pennsylvania will continue to follow CDC guidance for wearing a mask where required by law.

The CDC requires individuals to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transit. People should also continue to follow mask guidance at workplaces, businesses, long-term care facilities, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters.

Businesses, municipalities, and school districts may continue to enforce their own face-mask policies.

In Philadelphia — which has stricter mitigation measures than the rest of the state — most Safer-at-Home restrictions will be lifted on Wednesday, June 2. Density limits, maximum capacity limits, and physical distancing rules will be dropped.

The indoor mask mandate and 11 p.m. last call for dining order will continue to be enforced, though city health officials may decide to drop those restrictions on Friday, June 11.

Here’s how to sign up to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania.

 

WHYY is the leading public media station serving the Philadelphia region, including Delaware, South Jersey and Pennsylvania. This story originally appeared on WHYY.org.