First PA Counties To Reopen Will Be Announced Friday

HARRISBURG, PA — Small steps towards a reopening will begin this week in Pennsylvania, as officials are expected on Friday to announce the first counties that will be permitted to lift some of the coronavirus mitigation measures. Additionally, construction will resume and golf courses will be permitted to reopen Friday, with specific guidelines in place.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine confirmed that the state is prepared on Friday to announce which regions and counties will be permitted to move from the "yellow" designation to the "red" designation on May 8.

The reopening is part of a three-phased plan announced last week by Gov. Tom Wolf. All regions are currently deemed "red." From there, data and other factors will be used to determine when they can advance to "yellow" and then finally "green."

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The counties announced Friday will have a week of lead time before heading into the yellow phase, which lifts the stay-at-home order, among other measures. There is no set length for each phase. Regions will progress based on current data and conditions, officials have said.

Gov. Tom has previously said his administration is reviewing if counties in the northwest and north-central regions can reopen. He did not offer specifics on which counties were being considered; those details are expected Friday.

There are six state health systems regions: northwest; north-central; northeast; southwest; south-central; southeast. However, the reopening process will not exactly mirror the counties in those regions, officials have said.

To determine each region's eligibility to reopen, officials will be assessing target goals related to infection rates, testing capabilities, hospital capacity, and other factors. MORE: Here Are The Metrics That Will Guide PA's Reopening

"A target goal for reopening has been set at having fewer than 50 new confirmed cases per 100,000 population reported to the department in the previous 14 days. So, for example, an area with a population of 800,000 people would need to have fewer than 400 new confirmed cases reported in the past 14 days to meet the target. An assessment will determine if the target goal has been met," the state's reopening plan explains.

Levine has repeatedly said the public shouldn't overly fixate on the infection rate goal. It is just one of several factors that will be assessed, she has said at the daily briefings. "This is just one piece of the puzzle and there are many other pieces of the puzzle that will be considered," she said Monday.

When the southeast region will even be considered for a reopening remains unknown. It will likely be among the last areas to reopen, officials have said.

"I don't have an estimate," Levine said when probed about offering some sort of timeline for the Philadelphia region's reopening. She echoed statements from Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force: "The virus determines the timeline."

Levine did confirm Tuesday that experts believe Philadelphia and its suburbs have in fact passed the peak of coronavirus cases. "It does seem we are past the peak," she said Tuesday.

She noted, as areas prepare to reopen, "we are going to have to be very, very careful that we don't see outbreaks." If outbreaks occur, officials will have to deal with them "very quickly."

Pennsylvania's shutdowns began March 16, when the restaurants in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties were ordered closed for dine-in service.

All non-life-sustaining businesses in the state were ordered closed three days later. On March 23, stay-at-home orders were announced for Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Monroe, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Through the end of March, more than 25 counties were told to stay at home before a statewide order was announced on April 1.

Once regions move from the red to yellow phase, certain measures will be eased.

In the yellow phase, stay-at-home orders will be lifted but large gatherings of 25 or more people will be prohibited. Retail stores may reopen but with curbside and delivery the preferred method of operation. Gyms, spas, and entertainment venues like theaters and casinos will remain closed in the yellow phase. Restaurants will still be limited to carry out or delivery.

Child care centers will reopen in the yellow phase with safety orders and telework must continue whenever possible. Congregate care and prison restrictions will remain in place, and schools will remain closed for in-person instruction. All reopened businesses must follow CDC and Department of Health guidance for social distancing and cleaning.

The final phase is green. In the green phase, most restrictions are lifted, including business closure orders.

Also Friday, construction will resume but the job site may look a bit different. Construction employees must wear masks and stay six feet apart from each other. Crew sizes will be limited, and hand washing stations must be present on the job site. Sanitizing protocols must be in place for high risk transmission areas. More information is here.

Golf courses and other outdoor amenities, such as marinas and private campgrounds, are slated for a Friday opening as well. Here's what you can expect at the golf course.

Since the state's first case was reported March 6, 1,716 Pennsylvanians have died from the virus. There have been more than 43,264 confirmed cases statewide as of Wednesday.

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