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Recovery Resources: PA rules change, vaccine sites and tax filing extensions
State relaxes pandemic restrictions, gathering limits
Gov. Wolf announced earlier this week that the state is relaxing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses and gathering limits it had imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective April 4. The state is permitting restaurants to resume bar service and serve alcohol to patrons who don’t buy food, as well as lifting the curfew for removing alcoholic drinks from tables. Additionally, it is increasing the indoor dining capacity to 75 percent for restaurants that are self-certified, which involves agreeing to strictly comply with all public health safety guidelines and orders, and 50 percent for restaurants that aren’t self-certified. Restaurants still must maintain six feet between diners and require patrons to wear masks. They still are encouraged to offer outdoor dining and curbside takeout. The state also is allowing gyms and entertainment facilities, such as movie theaters, casinos and malls, to operate at 75 percent capacity and increasing occupancy limits to 25 percent of maximum occupancy for indoor events and 50 percent of maximum occupancy for outdoor events, as long as workers and attendees can comply with the six-foot physical distancing requirement
Recovery Resources: Hospitality grant applications and vaccination news
Local hospitality businesses can apply for CHIRP grants starting March 12
Area hospitality businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to apply for grants under the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) as early as March 12. Under the program, the DCED will allocate $145 million to counties based on their populations and the counties will contract with one or more Certified Economic Development Organizations or Community Development Financial Institutions to disburse the money through grants.
