Pennsylvania will lift its mask mandate by June 28, at the latest, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said on Thursday.
People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer be required to face coverings in public on that date, or when 70% of Pennsylvania’s adult population is fully vaccinated, whichever comes first, Beam said.
To date, 70% of Pennsylvania adults are at least partially vaccinated and 52.7% are fully vaccinated. According to Centers for Disease Control data, 97.7 percent of Pennsylvanians over 65 have received at least one dose of vaccine.
“What all of this means is that Pennsylvanians are realizing that they have the power to stop COVID-19, and that they are stepping up to get vaccinated,” Beam said. “It also means that we are on track to get to 70% of adults with second doses by the end of June.”
Vaccination appointments for ages 12 and older are available through Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Mount Nittany Health and through other pharmacies and providers listed at vaccines.gov. The state-run Regional Vaccination Clinic at the Bryce Jordan Center offers vaccines to individuals 18 and older by appointment or walk-in.
On May 13, the Department of Health updated its mask order to reflect CDC guidance stating that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face covering in most circumstances.
When the mask order is fully lifted, DOH will continue to follow CDC guidance on masking in certain locations. Currently those include doctors’ offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, homeless shelters and prisons and on airplanes, buses and other public transportation.
Pennsylvania will lift most of its COVID-19 mitigation measures, except the masking order, on Monday as new cases and hospitalizations continue to decline.
Statewide on Thursday, Pennsylvania reported fewer than 1,000 new positives for the fourth time in five days. In Centre County there were eight new cases, marking the third single-digit increase this week.
Local governments, schools and businesses can continue to enforce masking and other mitigation measures even after the statewide orders are lifted.
In Centre County, municipalities with local COVID-19 ordinances have amended them or are likely to do so soon to reflect state guidance on masking.
State College updated its ordinance, which expires July 31, to no longer require face coverings indoors and simply follow the DOH order on masking. Borough council also voted to increase the limit on outdoor gatherings at residential properties from 25 to 100 people and indoor gatherings from 25 to 50. Outdoor gatherings on municipal property increase from 50 to 100 people.
College Township rescinded its ordinance effective May 31 and Patton Township has rescinded enforcement of the remaining provisions of its ordinance, which included limits on gatherings.
Ferguson Township supervisors will hold a public hearing and are expected to vote on June 7 to amend the ordinance to follow DOH and CDC guidance on masking and to increase limits on outdoor gatherings from 50 to 100 people while extending the ordinance to July 31.
No other Centre County municipalities had local COVID-19 ordinances.
