Call for expansions in ‘yellow’

Wolf allows outdoor dining after legislators appeal

LANSDALE » Montgomery County Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday calling for leniency for eateries in the state’s yellow phase of recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It appears that Wolf took notice.

Starting on June 5, “restaurants and bars may open outdoor dining, in addition to carryout and delivery,” according to the state’s COVID-19 resources page, which was updated with the information on Wednesday.

“I worked closely with several other members to call on the governor to rethink his yellow phase guidelines, and he has listened to our concerns, and is taking action,” Rep. Steve Malagari

(D-53th Dist.) said in a written statement on Wednesday. “We know that we can eat outdoors without fear and should be able to do so.”

State Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-146th Dist.) sent the letter to the governor’s office on Tuesday. The collaborative effort was endorsed by Reps. Danilo Burgos (D-197), Tim Briggs (D-149), Austin Davis (D-35), Tina Davis (D-141),

Dave Delloso (D-162), Malagari, Jennifer O’Mara (D165), Christina Sappey (D158), Dan Williams (D-74), and Melissa Shusterman (D-157).

Malagari said he was pleased with the developments.

“I wanted to just make sure that the governor knew that we feel looking at our numbers and looking at the trends day after day … that we’re actually trending in the right direction,” Malagari

told The Reporter on Wednesday. “People are doing the right thing.”

All red phase status counties in the commonwealth are slated to progress to the yellow phase by June 5, according to a statement from Wolf’s office.

In addition to restaurants, Ciresi and other elected leaders who penned the letter requested that guidelines within the yellow status be augmented “to allow hair salons [and] barber shops … to safely reopen as well.”

“Protecting lives is my top priority, but we also need to make sure our small businesses do not have to close their doors permanently over this pandemic,” Ciresi said in a statement on Wednesday. “Reopening can be done safely, and we have the protective equipment and cleaning procedures to follow mitigation guidelines.”

The letter proposes permitting salons and barbershops to operate at 50 percent capacity while in the yellow phase and at 80 percent capacity during the green phase.

“These restrictions would strike a balance to ensure social distancing and prevent potentially dangerous overcrowding in those establishments,” state representatives said in the letter. “We hope you will consider allowing

Pennsylvania to join many other states, including our neighbors, in relieving the pressure on our businesses by reopening restaurants, hair salons, and barber shops when additional counties enter the ‘yellow phase’ on June 5.”

As for hair salons and barbershops, legislators urged Wolf to consider easing restrictions for counties with yellow phase status to allow for services while still adhering to safety guidelines.

However, the governor’s office has yet to implement the legislators’ suggestions. According to the resources webpage, the shutdown continues for the following places:

• Indoor recreation, health and wellness facilities

• Personal care services including gyms, spas, hair salons, nail salons, and other entities that provide massage therapy

• Entertainment spaces such as casinos and theaters

“We know that we can eat outdoors without fear and should be able to do so.”