Governor Tom Wolf announced the reopening of Pennsylvania and the end to the state-wide “stay-at-home” order in three phases: red, yellow and green. Phases will be assigned based on conditions in a county, counties or region.
This plan takes into account all relevant medical advice to keep Pennsylvanians as safe as possible as we all transition out of the current stay at home order.
The red phase, which currently applies to the whole state, has the sole purpose of minimizing the spread of COVID-19 through strict social distancing, non-life sustaining business and school closures, and building safety protocols. All areas of the state are expected to remain in the red phase until May 8th.
As regions or counties move into the yellow phase, some restrictions on work and social interaction will ease while others, such as closures of schools, gyms, and other indoor recreation centers, as well as limitations around large gatherings, will remain in place. In this phase, we will begin to power back up the economy while keeping a close eye on the public health data to ensure the spread of disease remains contained to the greatest extent possible.
The green phase eases most restrictions by lifting the stay-at-home and business closure orders to allow the economy to strategically reopen while continuing to prioritize public health. While this phase will facilitate a return to a “new normal,” it will be equally important to continue to monitor public health indicators and adjust orders and restrictions as necessary to ensure the spread of COVID-19 remains at a minimum.
This is a responsible plan to reopen our state, while continuing to put the public health of all first.
