Restrictions relaxed for many Pa. businesses
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
Bars, restaurants and other businesses in the fitness and hospitality industries are closer to getting back to normal, as the COVID-19 pandemic moves past the one-year mark and vaccinations are on the rise.
With cases being reported at the lowest rate since November and vaccinations becoming more readily available across the state, Gov. Tom Wolf decided Monday to ease back on restrictions that have affected the hospitality industry throughout the pandemic.
Starting April 4, state residents, for the first time since June, will be able to sit at the bar to order a drink without having to order a meal — and they will be stay later than midnight.
Wolf also announced that he was lifting indoor capacity limits for restaurants, gyms, casinos and other businesses.
Occupancy will be raised to 75% for restaurants that are currently self-certified and those that undergo the self-certification process, which means the business agrees to comply with all public health safety guidelines and orders.
Restaurants and bars that do not self-certify can raise their capacity to 50%.
While this is a hopeful sign to business owners who have struggled and watched their employees face hardships, they are still waiting for the day they can operate at 100% capacity.
“We are still not open fully,” said Rich Algeri, owner of Rich’s Parkside Den in the Boston section of Elizabeth Township. “We are still being jerked around and my patience has run out.”
Algeri said he has no faith the governor will stick to his word.
“If he is going to let us open a little more after Easter, why not right now?” he said. “What is two more weeks? This is just him playing God. We are like dogs on a chain and he is giving us another inch that he could take back tomorrow if he wanted to.
“This is not going to do anything for us, if you consider what we have already lost over the past year. He needs to let us open.”
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