On March 1, 2021, Governor Wolf and Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam issued identical Orders officially easing COVID-19 restrictions due to a decline in COVID-19 cases and an amplification in the Commonwealth’s vaccination plan. The following is effective immediately:
- Travel Restrictions: all travel restrictions by the Commonwealth have been rescinded. Moving forward, any travel out of state undertaken by employees no longer
- (i) qualifies an employee for extended Families First Coronavirus Response Act benefits being offered by the employer, or
- (ii) requires mandatory quarantine (assuming no exposure occurred during the travel).
- Maximum Occupancy Numbers: any event or gathering, is now subject to the following guidelines:
- Indoor Events/Gatherings: Entities may host no more than 15% of the maximum occupancy (to include the employees/people hosting the event/gathering) as long as all participants wear face coverings and are able to remain 6+ feet apart.
- Outdoor Events/Gatherings: Entities may host no more than 20% of the maximum occupancy (to include the employees/people hosting the event/gathering) as long as all participants wear face coverings and are able to remain 6+ feet apart.
- Events that have “fixed seating,” such as in theaters, are allowed to provide “reserved seating” to groups of not more than 10 people, with a recommendation that all 10 come from the same household, and to groups of 11+ where all 11+ are required to come from the same household.
The attorneys in Stock and Leader’s Business and Municipal Group will continue to monitor updates regarding COVID-19.