After instituting months of shutdowns in efforts to curb the coronavirus, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the state's plan to gradually reopen.
On April 22, Wolf announced that the plan to reopen Pennsylvania in three distinct phases — red, yellow, and green — would be designated on a county-by-county basis.
Here are the different guidelines for what life will look during each phase.
Green Phase
Of the three phases of reopening, the green phase is the least restrictive. Most of the counties in the state are currently in the green phase.
As of June 12, Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York counties are in the green phase.
On June 19, eight more counties, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Luzerne, Monroe, Perry, Pike, and Schuylkill, will move into the green phase of reopening.
In the green phase, all businesses are allowed to open under Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and Pennsylvania Department of Health health and safety guidelines.
Although the size of social gatherings will not be limited, people must continue following CDC guidelines for social distancing as the pandemic continues to evolve.
Yellow Phase
21 counties in the state are currently in the yellow phase, in which shutdown restrictions begin to relax.
In the yellow phase, businesses are supposed to continue working remotely if feasible, but all businesses with in-person operations are required to follow safety orders, including practicing social distancing and wearing facial coverings.
Some businesses, however, will not be allowed to open. These include health and wellness facilities, movie theaters, and indoor malls. Schools will also remain closed.
Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, and Susquehanna counties are in the yellow phase of reopening.
Red Phase
The red phase of reopening is the most restrictive of the three phases. Only businesses designated as life-sustaining services are permitted to be open, and all schools must be closed to in-person instruction. Nursing homes, long-term care facilities, residential treatment facilities, and prisons are closed to visitors, as residents are particularly susceptible. Large gatherings are prohibited, and stay-at-home orders are in place during this phase.
No counties remain in the red phase.
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