Pennsylvania restaurants, event venues prepare for full capacity
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Pennsylvania will lift all COVID-19 restrictions - except an order to wear a mask while in public - on Memorial Day, the Wolf administration announced Tuesday.
Capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants and indoor and outdoor gatherings will go away on May 31, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.
For business owners, Governor Tom Wolf's announcement is cause to celebrate.
"The light is there and it's shining much, much brighter than we've seen it for a long time," said Thomas King, owner of Kings Mill in Media.
RELATED: Residents, experts think 70% vaccination rate in Pennsylvania is doable
The wedding and event venue is ready to welcome guests at full capacity.
"There were a lot of people that were hesitant to come to weddings due to COVID. Now that people are being vaccinated, people are now feeling much better about coming in," said King.
Along State Street in Media, consumer confidence is back at restaurants too.
"Everybody wants to get back to normal," said Shelly McKeon of Brick & Brew. "I can't wait for people to be able to sit back at our bar."
RELATED: Pennsylvania to lift COVID mitigation orders, except masking, on Memorial Day
"The businesses get back what they need and people will get their jobs back, and everyone will be happier," says Dora Preston of Media.
Restaurant jobs are abundant after major layoffs, customers are back and they're looking for service.
"More people are being vaccinated now so they feel comfortable coming out," said Paul Maranca of Spazzo Italian Grill. "The problem now with a lot of restaurants, we're suffering trying to find employees. We definitely need servers, bussers and hostesses."
The Health Department said an order requiring people to wear masks while away from home will be lifted once 70% of Pennsylvanians 18 and older are fully vaccinated.
That percentage stood at nearly 42% on Tuesday, according to federal data, while 63% of those 18 and older had at least one dose.
