PA Announces New COVID Restrictions Through Early 2021

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday announced several temporary coronavirus mitigation measures, including closing indoor dining and gyms, limiting gatherings and suspending youth sports. The measures are aimed to slow the spread of the coronavirus in high-risk settings, officials said.

The state faces a "dire" situation as cases continue to multiply at a rapid pace, placing healthcare workers and hospital capacity in peril, Wolf said.

"We need to slow the spread right now in order to save lives. If we don't, we are going to be in big trouble," Wolf said.

The new restrictions begin this Saturday at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in place through Jan. 4 at 8 a.m.

The following new restrictions were announced Thursday:

• All sports at K-12 public schools, nonpublic schools, private schools and club, travel, recreational, intermural, and intramural sports are paused. School-sponsored extracurricular activities are also suspended.
• Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people and outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people.
• Indoor dining is suspended. Takeout and outdoor dining remain in place.
• Theaters, entertainment venues, movie theaters, arcades, bowling alleys and private clubs must suspend indoor operations.
• Indoor operations at gyms is also suspended. Outdoor facilities and classes can continue, but all participants must wear face coverings.
• Retail businesses must operate at 50 percent occupancy.
• Professional or collegiate sports activities may continue in accordance with guidance from the CDC and the Department of Health. Spectators may not attend games.

The new restrictions come as the state broke a record set just the day before for most coronavirus deaths in a single day. Officials on Thursday reported 248 new deaths, breaking the record of 220 deaths set just the day before.

“Each of the last two days we have reported the highest number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic,” Health Secretary Rachel Levine said. “In the past week, we have reported close to 1,100 new deaths from COVID-19 across Pennsylvania. The virus continues to strain our health care systems and the dramatic rise in cases among all age groups, including among school-age children, is alarming."

Wolf said the three-week "pause" aims to protect residents during the holidays as well as bring the state closer to the distribution of a vaccine.

"With these measures in place, we hope to accomplish three goals: First, stop the devastating spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth. Second, keep our hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed. And third, help Pennsylvanians get through the holiday season – and closer to a widely available vaccine – as safely as possible. This is a bridge to a better future in Pennsylvania," Wolf said.

Wolf, who tested positive for the coronavirus this week, said Monday that more mitigation measures were possible soon.

Meanwhile, the White House Coroanvirus Task Force this week warned that more mitigation measures "must happen now" in Pennsylvania to prevent hospital systems from being overwhelmed.

The latest Task Force report, issued Dec. 6, says despite the severity of the fall surge, Pennsylvania and other states "are not implementing the same mitigation policies that stemmed the tide in the summer surge. That must happen now."

Thursday's news conference can be viewed here: