Westmoreland County: Bipartisan request seeks looser restrictions

By Rich Cholodofsky

Trib Total Media

Westmoreland County’s top elected officials are pleased with having been moved into the yellow phase of coronavirus reopening. They would just prefer a more robust shade.

In a letter sent to Gov. Tom Wolf, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers and county commissioners asked for an enhanced designation that would clarify regulations and allow more businesses, such as hair salons and restaurants, to reopen in the county.

“We want consistency and clarification,” said state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mt. Pleasant. “We need to let people open their businesses and go back to work. We have to treat Pennsylvanians like adults.”

The correspondence was signed by six Republican state representatives — Bob Brooks, Eric Davanzo, George Dunbar, Eric Nelson, Reese and Ryan Warner — and Democratic state Rep. Joe Petrarca; Republican state Sens. Joe Pittman, Pat Stefano and Kim Ward; and the three West- moreland County commissioners, Republicans Doug Chew and Sean Kertes and Democrat Gina Cerilli. They called on Wolf to allow businesses to reopen that are currently not permitted to operate under the yellow phase restrictions.

Officials said the still-shuttered businesses need clarity and can’t hold out much longer without reopening.

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