Pennsylvania will lift all COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, restaurants and other businesses on May 31, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced in a press release Tuesday.
All Pennsylvanians are still required to wear masks indoors and outdoors away from the home until 70 percent of adults statewide are fully vaccinated, according to the release.
Those receiving the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose. People receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Acting Secretary of Health Allison Beam urged Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated and follow COVID-19 health guidance to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“I encourage Pennsylvanians to take the critical steps needed to put this pandemic behind us by getting vaccinated, follow through with both doses if you receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and continue to take steps like masking, frequent hand washing and sanitizing and social distancing,” Beam said.
Pennsylvania has administered more than 8.7 million COVID-19 vaccines and more than 3.5 million residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
Today, President Joe Biden announced his goal to administer at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 70 percent of Americans by July 4, CNN reported. More than 147 million Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 105 million are fully vaccinated as of May 3, according to the CDC.
Philadelphia will not follow the state’s announcement but will ease dining restrictions on Friday, Health Commissioner Tom Farley said in a press conference on April 27. Philadelphia entered Phase 2 of its vaccine rollout on April 16, expanding eligibility to all residents 16 years and older, The Temple News reported.
On April 4, Pennsylvania expanded indoor dining capacity to 75 percent and lifted the curfew for alcohol sales, The Temple News reported. Casinos, malls and theaters also were permitted to expand their indoor capacities, according to a press release from Wolf’s office on March 15.
Pennsylvania expanded to Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution effort on April 12, making everyone 16 years and older eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, NBC Philadelphia reported.
More than 1.1 million residents in Pennsylvania have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.
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