With new order, 34 Pa. counties will go green on Friday, Wolf, Levine say

Thirty-four of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties will move into the Wolf administration’s green phase of reopening on Friday, with 10 additional counties going into the yellow phase, Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said Thursday.

Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine signed an “amended” yellow phase order allowing Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Northampton, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties to move into the yellow phase. All told, 33 counties will be in the yellow phase by Friday, Wolf’s office said.

A further 16 counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland will move into the “green” reopening phase, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, Wolf’s office said.

Wolf’s office announced that its stay-at-home order was lifted Thursday, moving all 67 counties out of the red phase, the most restrictive in the administration’s color-coded regime.

In the yellow phase, telework has to continue where it’s feasible, and gatherings of more than 25 people are forbidden. In-person retail shopping is allowed, though curbside service is encouraged. Gyms, hair salons and barber shops remain closed. Restaurants are bars are allowed to reopen for outdoor seating, in addition to offering carry-out and delivery, starting Friday.

In the green phase, teleworking is still encouraged, though businesses operating at 50 percent occupancy can increase to 75 percent occupancy.

In addition, in the green phase: Gatherings of up to 250 people are permitted; restaurants and bars can reopen at 50 percent capacity; hair salons and barber shops can reopen at 50 percent occupancy and by appointment; gyms and spas are also allowed to reopen, with “appointments strongly encouraged,” the administration said.