New restrictions based on crowds
More people will be able to attend events at larger venues
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday issued new coronavirus guidance that places limits on large crowds based on a sliding scale and the venue’s maximum occupancy, opening the door for more fans at sporting events.
The rules, which go into effect Friday, will replace limits of 25 people indoors and 250 outdoors, allowing much larger crowds at a range of events, including college, professional
and high school sports.
For instance, an outdoor venue with a maximum capacity of 2,000 or fewer people will be limited to 25% of its capacity, while an outdoor venue with a maximum capacity of more than 10,000 people will be limited to 15% of maximum occupancy, up to 7,500 people.
Meanwhile, an indoor venue with a maximum capacity of 2,000 or fewer people will be limited to 20% of capacity, while an indoor venue with a maximum capacity of more than 10,000 people will be limited to 10% of maximum occupancy, up to 3,750 people.
The new rules have widespread implications in Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
For example, Northampton Area School District’s superintendent said it means 750 fans will be allowed in its stadium. And the Pittsburgh Steelers announced fans will be in the stands for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, with the limited tickets going to season ticket holders selected at random. The Eagles could get fans back into Lincoln Financial Field this year, though the city would have to grant permission first. Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, which can hold more than 106,000 people, will remain mostly empty, because the Big Ten conference is not letting schools sell public tickets.
The rules from Wolf, a Democrat, were coolly received by Republicans in the Legislature.
A joint statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County and Majority Leader Jake Corman of Centre County said Wolf was “moving in the right direction when it comes to allowing more people at events.” But it said that Wolf “continues to act with sovereign rule instead of working with legislative leaders to protect citizens while moving our economy forward.”
Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the changes apply to temporary groups of people meeting over a limited time period.
Those groups include fairs, festivals, concerts and shows, as well as larger and more permanent events such as performances at amusement parks, movies, business meetings and conferences.
“Pennsylvanians must continue to social distance and wear masks as we prepare to fight the virus through the fall and winter,” Wolf said in a news release. “Regardless of the size of an event or gathering, those things are still imperative to stopping the spread of COVID. We know everyone has sacrificed in many ways and today’s announcement reflects a gradual adjustment to our lives as we learn how we can do things safely until we have a cure, or an effective vaccine is widely available.”
Levine said the state would continue to closely monitor cases and outbreaks, and revise the limits if necessary.
If case investigations and tracing show that events or gatherings are the source of an outbreak, Levine said, the state
“can and will dial back these new limits.”
Wolf and Levine said mitigation orders issued July 15 were amended to accommodate the new restrictions. Their centerpiece is a “maximum occupancy calculator” with these specifics: INDOOR
Maximum occupancy up to 2,000 people: 20% of maximum occupancy
Maximum occupancy 2,00110,000 people: 15% of maximum occupancy
Maximum occupancy more than 10,000 people: 10% of maximum occupancy, up to 3,750 people
OUTDOOR
Maximum occupancy up to 2,000 people: 25% of maximum occupancy
Maximum occupancy 2,00110,000 people: 20% of maximum occupancy
Maximum occupancy more than 10,000 people: 15% of maximum occupancy, up to 7,500 people
Wolf and the Legislature have been sparring over Wolf’s handling of pandemic-related crowd restrictions for months.
Republican state Rep. Mike Reese, whose bill to let school districts make sports event decisions during the pandemic passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Wolf, said he was frustrated by Wolf’s “nonsensical” actions.
“Fall sports have been ongoing for several weeks and had the administration been more responsive, this could have and should have been addressed in August,” Reese said.
Wolf’s limits of 25 indoors and
250 outdoors were thrown out by a western Pennsylvania federal judge, but the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the governor’s limits while that decision is appealed.
The Wolf administration’s guidance says it does not apply to groups that share a space in an office building, classrooms, production floors or other “regularly occurring operation of a business or organization.”
Thursday’s opening of Christkindmarkt, Bethlehem’s annual holiday market hosted by ArtsQuest, will not be affected by the state’s latest announcement, officials said.
The 28th season of Christ
kindlmarkt already is decidedly different thanks to COVID-19. In a typical year, the market starts in late November and ends just before Christmas, attracting more than 90,000 visitors.
This year, it will start six weeks earlier than usual, running Thursdays through Sundays until Nov. 29. That will allow the market to be held completely outdoors on the SteelStacks campus instead of in four heated tents. Tickets are sold in advance for designated time slots to allow ArtsQuest to limit the number of people taking part. At Northampton Area School District, about 750 people will be allowed in the stadium, said Joseph Kovalchik,
the district’s superintendent.
He said the district’s calculations are based on criteria provided by health professionals, which includes people being 6 feet apart and wearing masks.
“I’m hoping this is the last change coming from Harrisburg because by the time we can implement any new changes from this point forward, the fall athletic season will be over,” he wrote in an email.