Jun 29, 2021 5 min read

Gov. Tom Wolf’s statewide mask mandate for anyone who remains unvaccinated from COVID-19 expired early Monday morning, but people may still be required to wear face coverings in some circumstances depending on the rules of the establishment.

Anyone traveling on public transit or airplanes must still wear a mask regardless of their vaccination status, which makes for dueling policies at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Chartiers Township.

Visitors no longer need to be masked while inside the museum or on the grounds, but everyone must wear face coverings while traveling on the trolleys that are a popular portion of the tour. That rule remains in effect until Sept. 13, under the federal Transportation Security Administration’s mask policy for airplanes, buses, trains and other public transit systems.

“The trolleys are considered public transportation vehicles, so they would fit under the (TSA’s) mask mandate,” said Scott Becker, the executive director and CEO for the Trolley Museum. “Until they lift that, we have to abide by it.”

Becker said they have signs up letting visitors know about the different rules depending on whether they’re inside the museum or enjoying a trolley ride. He added that they have disposable masks available to anyone who needs one for the ride.

“The public’s been very good about it,” he said of visitors adhering to the rules. “We have some visitors who are wearing their masks anyway.”

The mask mandate also is still being enforced on buses and shared-ride services operated by Freedom Transit in Washington County. The public transit agency was working Monday to remind riders that the mask rules remain in place under federal guidelines. Signs explaining the policy to riders are displayed on buses, at covered stops and at the transit authority’s terminal in Washington, Freedom Transit spokeswoman Alexandra Sakalik said.

“Freedom Transit is asking riders to respect the mandate in order to minimize transit delays that stem from mask conversations and reminders,” Sakalik said. “Refusing to wear a face mask on public transit is a violation of federal law and riders who do not comply may be subject to penalties under federal law.”

But there are differing rules at county courthouses in the region.

Everyone who enters the Greene County Courthouse in Waynesburg still must wear a mask unless permitted by the presiding judge to remove it, according to President Judge Lou Dayich’s judicial order he issued late last month. But Dayich’s order expires Thursday, meaning those rules could change again in a few days. Court Administrator Sheila Rode was unsure whether Dayich will extend the order that includes various other COVID-19 safety protocols.

“I don’t know what may happen by July 1, exactly,” Rode said of the day the order is set to expire. “There have been different discussions.”

The rules regarding masks in the Washington County Courthouse aren’t quite as strict. President Judge John DiSalle’s most recent judicial order mostly follows the state’s guidance about masks for vaccinated people, allowing them to remove them when Wolf relaxed that statewide order in mid-May. But unvaccinated people who visit the courthouse are still required to wear a mask until that order expires Friday.

“We’ll consider whether we need to extend it,” DiSalle said Monday.

For local businesses, the lifting of the statewide mask mandate means employees and customers will have to make their own decisions when it comes to whether or not to wear a mask.

Harold Close, a North Strabane Township supervisor and owner of The Bar Association restaurant in Canonsburg, is leaving the decision to wear a mask up to the individual.

“We will continue to do a temperature check for any patrons that are comfortable. We’ll continue to follow guidelines from the CDC,” Close said.

Close said the same rules will apply to anyone who may have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I don’t think it’s my place as a business owner to request any kind of medical information, whether vaccinated or not,” Close said.

Close also noted that it has been difficult for businesses to adjust to changing guidelines.

“It’s discouraging because the guidance has been so all over the place as we learn how to adjust to something none of us in our lifetime have ever experienced,” he said.

Bethel Bakery, which has locations in Bethel Park and North Strabane, has not finalized its policy on masks for its staff going forward. Marketing Director Rachel Wanovich said management would discuss updating the policy at a meeting on Tuesday.

The State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown is preparing to hold events again beginning with the musical “Xanadu,” showing July 9 through 11. Executive Director Erica Miller said the organization’s board still needs to discuss the matter, but that masks will likely become optional.

“We will let people opt to wear a mask or not. I think a lot of our volunteer ushers will probably choose to,” Miller said.

The pandemic put Popcorn Willy, located on North Main Street in Washington, out of commission for seven months as they remodeled the store between September and March to adjust to a new reality. Gone is the salad bar and countertop seating. With restrictions lifted, the owners expect masks will mostly be gone as well.

Cherie Wolfe and her daughter, Talyn Buxton, are co-owners of Popcorn Willy. They said Monday that there will be no mask requirements for staff or customers, and those who are unvaccinated will be able to decide for themselves whether or not to wear one.

“If they want to, they’re more than welcome to,” Buxton said. “We won’t discourage mask wearing.”

Though the restrictions are gone, that does not mean Popcorn Willy will abandon all the extra precautions they picked up during the pandemic.

“We will continue to run things cleaned and sanitized,” Wolfe said.