With COVID cases on the rise across the state, we must continue to unite against the spread. Together, when we make good choices and follow health and safety measures, we see results.

Yesterday Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced new efforts in the fight against the virus. Help us slow the spread and keep our family, friends, neighbors, and businesses safe.

Keeping Businesses, Customers, & Employees Safe

Businesses play a critical role in protecting workers, customers, suppliers, and the general public. Yesterday the Wolf Administration issued the Mitigation, Enforcement, and Immunity Order that consolidates previous business orders and includes reiterating cleaning and social distancing requirements, mandatory telework requirements, unless impossible, and other safety measures.

To help with enforcement of existing masking orders in businesses, those businesses that maintain in-person operations and are open to the public will receive immunity from civil liability only as it relates to the Secretary’s masking order given that individuals and entities are engaged in essential emergency services activities and disaster services activities when enforcing the order.

Events & Gatherings

To help slow the spread of COVID, businesses must reduce their indoor and outdoor capacity for events or gatherings. Those venues must determine their occupancy limit as defined by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code and then apply the attendee calculator to determine how many attendees are permitted to attend the event or gathering. These new occupancy restrictions apply only to distinct events or gatherings, and not regular business operations such as restaurant service or retail shopping. An event or gathering is a temporary grouping of individuals for defined purposes, that takes place over a limited timeframe, such as hours or days.

Maximum Occupancy for indoor events:

January 2025

Maximum Occupancy	Allowable Indoor Rate
0 – 2,000 people	10% of Maximum Occupancy
2,001 – 10,000 people	5% of Maximum Occupancy
Over 10,000 people	No events over 500 people

Maximum Occupancy for outdoor events:

Maximum Occupancy	Allowable Outdoor Rate
0 – 2,000 people	15% of Maximum Occupancy
2,001 – 10,000 people	10% of Maximum Occupancy
Over 10,000 people	5% of Maximum Capacity up to 2,500

With the upcoming holidays, gatherings are not advised to be held with guests that are not part of your immediate household. To learn more about holiday gathering safety tips, visit the pa.gov/COVID website.

Specifically, to address large holiday crowds, on Nov. 25, 2020 only, all sales or the dispensing of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption at businesses in the retail food services industry, including bars, restaurants, and private catered events must end at 5PM. Read more about the Retail Food Services Mitigation Order.

Indoor dining may continue, and takeout is strongly encouraged.

Enforcement

Together, we can and will defeat the virus. We are in the fall resurgence of COVID and as Pennsylvanians, we must do everything we can to stop the spread.

Orders already in place and those announced yesterday are enforceable. Law enforcement and state agencies will be ramping their efforts with the issuing of citations and fines. Individuals and businesses who fail to comply with an order may be fined $25 – $300 dollars.

The following orders must be followed:

Out of state travel
Mask-wearing
Business safety, including telework, occupancy, cleaning, social distancing
Restaurant mitigation, including occupancy, masking, social distancing,
self-certification
Gathering limits
School attestation and mitigation

Individuals with concerns of possible COVID-19 health and safety violations in a workplace can submit a complaint to the PA Department of Health (DOH). Following a complaint, the DOH will send a warning letter to the business of potential consequences, including fines and closure if the business is not compliant with the current
mitigation orders.

Included in these efforts and the new enforcement order, local governments have now been granted the authority and guidance on enforcement of the various COVID-19 orders in place. Local leaders can implement their own orders, ordinances, or directives in order to protect health and safety as long as they are stricter than those mandated by the state.

Protect Your Community

COVID is tough, but together, Pennsylvanians are tougher. United, we can defeat the virus. You matter, and so do your actions.

Let’s work together to stop the spread. For more information about what you can do to protect yourself, your family, business, neighbors, and community from COVID, visit PA.GOV/COVID. Check out our Community Resources for downloadable posters, social media materials, and other free marketing materials.