Sep 8, 2020 2 min read

Gov. Tom Wolf will ease COVID-19 mitigation on restaurants and allow them to seat diners at 50% of their indoor occupancy rates in two weeks.

Wolf’s order Tuesday will take effect Sept. 21 and require alcohol sales to be limited to food sales until 10 p.m.

“We are ready to lift that partially,” Wolf said Tuesday morning during a press conference called to ask the Republican-controlled Legislature to extend the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.

He said he ordered restaurants in July to limit seating to 25% occupancy, following federal guidance, when the state was experiencing a new surge in COVID-19 cases.

“We were starting to see a troubling rise,” Wolf said.

The state’s COVID-19 case rate has since been reduced, and Allegheny County reported Tuesday that it had gone four consecutive days without a virus-related death.

There were no new deaths reported, either, in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.

Washington County recorded eight new cases of the novel coronavirus Tuesday, taking its total to 1,150 since March. There were no new cases announced in Greene or Fayette counties.

Wolf’s updated order also requires restaurants to self-certify that they are complying with social distancing, masking and other requirements to help slow the spread of the disease.

Restaurants may choose to not self-certify with no additional penalties. However, uncertified restaurants must remain at 25% indoor capacity, according to the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Restaurant owners should contact covidselfcert@pa.gov for additional information on the self-certifying process.

Meanwhile, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine reminded the public Tuesday that is more important now than ever to get a flu shot because of the pandemic.

“This year things will be even more dangerous,” Levine said.