LANCASTER, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf on Feb. 15 announced the easing of restrictions on bars, restaurants, businesses and gatherings.
Starting April 4, self-certified restaurants and bars in Pennsylvania can operate at 75 capacity. Non-self-certified restaurants and bars can operate at 50 percent capacity.
Customers will again be allowed to sit at the bar and will no longer have to order food to get drinks. The curfew for drinks will also be lifted.
Masking and social distancing restrictions will remain in effect.
The measure received some positive feedback from the service industry, with some criticism for not helping businesses sooner.
“I thought we’d never make it to see the end of the tunnel, but we did and it’s here,” said Matt Flinchy, leader of the Central PA Restaurant Coalition. “It should be today, not April 4… But we’ll take what we can get.”
Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association said in a statement,
“As our neighboring states were relaxing different types of industry restrictions, Pennsylvania’s small business taverns and licensed restaurants were being put at a competitive disadvantage, particularly those near the state line.”
Maryland removed all restaurant capacity limits on March 12, and New York State will lift restaurant capacity to 75 percent on March 19.
Pennsylvania state Republican officials responded that the state’s new limits don’t go far enough.
“We’re going to lose our competitive advantage,” said Jason Gottesman, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus. “We have a lot of great assets here that have been shut down by the governor. His continued slow rolling of our economic recovery and our reopening is just atrocious for workers and small businesses across this Commonwealth.”
The 75 percent capacity limit will also apply to a wide range of other businesses, including gyms and theaters.
Indoor event venues will be capped at 25 percent capacity, with outdoor event venues at 50 percent capacity.
“I’m glad they’re opening back up,” said Michael Long of Lancaster. “I think they should have opened up sooner because a lot of businesses went out of business [in the] struggle, but it’s finally going to help people.”
The easing of restrictions will create a large shift for O’Halloran’s Irish Pub and Eatery in Lancaster, where the bar area has been off-limits for a year now.
FOX43 talked to general manager Kristin Myers last Thanksgiving, when the state imposed a 5 p.m. cutoff for selling alcohol. Myers said since then, not much has changed for the pub.
“We’ve still been operating at limited capacity with all the regulations. Just doing what we can to get by until restrictions are lifted,” Myers said. “I do think it’s the right time to reopen and get things back to normal. We’ve waited long enough.”
Lancaster residents expressed optimism for a return to normalcy this spring.
“We need to start opening up businesses but I think we need to wear masks,” said Tony Davis.
“I mean it’s better than, what was it? 10, 25 [percent]?” said Damon Gearhart. “It’s time to get out of the house.”
“You open the restaurants, yes, it’s good,” said Patricia Baquireco.