On March 1, 2021 the Wolf administration announced statewide loosened event and gathering restrictions and lifted out-of-state travel restrictions. Governor Wolf stated in the press release “Pennsylvania is taking a measured approach to revising or lifting mitigation orders.” “The reason we are seeing cases drop can be attributed, in part, to people following the mitigation efforts we have in place.” The revised orders from the Governor can be found here and here. Acting Secretary of Health Alison V. Beam signed parallel orders available here and here.
Events and Gatherings
In the new PA Order, an event or gathering continues to be defined to include business meetings or conferences.
- Venues hosting indoor events and gatherings are limited to 15% of maximum occupancy, regardless of size. Venues hosting outdoor events and gatherings are limited to 20% of maximum occupancy, regardless of size. The maximum occupancy limit continues to include staff. Venues must still adhere to physical distancing and face covering requirements and implement best practices such as providing for timed entry, multiple entry and exit points, and multiple restrooms.
- Events or gatherings at fixed seated venues must sell reserved seating allowing groups of up to 10 attendees to sit together, with the recommendation that the group be from the same household, and separate each group by at least six feet. Groups of more than ten attendees are allowed, but only if they are all from the same household.
- At all other events or gatherings, host venues must continue to require attendees to comply with the six foot physical distancing requirement, wear masks and continue to implement best practices such as providing for timed entry, multiple entry and exit points, and multiple restrooms.
Travel
- The out-of-state travel restrictions are eliminated. Those restrictions, which were implemented in November 2020, required individuals over the age of 11 traveling into the state to produce a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering the state or quarantine for 14 days upon entering, unless they qualified for an exemption.
Teleworking
The March 1 Order does not otherwise change the requirements of the Governor’s November 23, 2020 Mitigation, Enforcement, and Immunity Order. That Order continues to require that, unless impossible, all businesses must conduct their operations remotely.
City of Philadelphia
On the heels of these changes, Philadelphia announced that it was easing its occupancy restrictions to match the state maximums. That announcement can be found here.
Please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the Labor and Employment Group if you have questions about what these orders mean for your operations and business.