Washington, Greene counties to move to COVID-19 yellow zone
Thirteen counties in the Pittsburgh region, including Washington and Greene, will be allowed to reopen select nonessential businesses next week during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Tom Wolf made the announcement Friday afternoon, allowing car dealerships, pet groomers and some retail stores to reopen with social distancing guidelines starting on May 15. Restaurants are to remain closed, while selling take-out only, and gatherings of more than 25 people are still prohibited in yellow zones
“This is not a one-way move,” Wolf said, adding he would reimpose restrictions if the dangerous virus begins to spike.
Under a previous order, 24 counties reopened Friday in north-central and northwestern Pennsylvania. The 13 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania will move from a red zone to a yellow zone, easing some mitigation restrictions.
Beaver County, where the state’s worst virus outbreak happened in a nursing home, is the only one in the region that is not moving from a red zone to a yellow zone. U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th District, has called for a federal investigation into the Brighton home in Beaver after dozens of people who lived or worked there have died from the virus.
Wolf said Beaver officials will be risking lives if they follow through with threats to move that county into a yellow zone in defiance of his order.
“The remedy is not to ignore the virus. It is out there,” Wolf said.
People in yellow zones are urged to stay at home as much as possible and wear masks in public to help slow the spread of the virus. Employers are also asked to allow their employees to work from home if possible.
The virus has killed 3,616 adults in Pennsylvania since March, the state health department said Friday. Four of those deaths occurred in Washington County, while one was recorded in Greene County.
As of Friday, 54,238 Pennsylvania residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Washington County’s case count grew by one to 120, while Greene County remained at 27 positive cases.
Allegheny County’s death toll from the virus rose to 119, up two from Thursday. In Allegheny, 1,455 residents have tested positive for the virus.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was delighted with Wolf’s decision to move the Pittsburgh region into the yellow phase.
“This decision is a reflection of the great work that the residents of Allegheny County and our neighboring counties have done following the advice of our medical experts,” Fitzgerald said.
Leanna Spada, executive director of Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, issued a tool kit to businesses Friday with guidance on reopening the right way.
Spada said the reopening must involve efforts to protect employees and customers.
“Remember, we only have one shot at opening the right way, and each business could have a profound affect on whether everyone gets shut down again,” Spada said.
The Washington Crown Center mall in North Franklin Township will not be allowed to reopen under the yellow phase, said Civil Knox, its general manager.
“This is devastating,” Knox said.
She said the mall is looking into the possibility that a few mall stores with external entrances may be allowed to reopen.
Staff writer Rick Shrum contributed to this story.