Bipartisan request to loosen restrictions in Westmoreland County sent to Gov. Wolf

Westmoreland County’s top elected officials are pleased with having been moved into the yellow phase of coronavirus reopening. They would just prefer a more robust shade.

In a letter sent to Gov. Tom Wolf, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers and county commissioners asked for an enhanced designation that would clarify regulations and allow more businesses, such as hair salons and restaurants, to reopen in the county.

“We want consistency and clarification,” said state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mt. Pleasant. “We need to let people open their businesses and go back to work. We have to treat Pennsylvanians like adults.”

The correspondence was signed by six Republican state representatives — Bob Brooks, Eric Davanzo, George Dunbar, Eric Nelson, Reese and Ryan Warner — and Democratic state Rep. Joe Petrarca; Republican state Sens. Joe Pittman, Pat Stefano and Kim Ward; and the three West- moreland County commissioners, Republicans Doug Chew and Sean Kertes and Democrat Gina Cerilli. They called on Wolf to allow businesses to reopen that are currently not permitted to operate under the yellow phase restrictions.

Officials said the still-shuttered businesses need clarity and can’t hold out much longer without reopening.

“Westmoreland’s small businesses, many of whose doors have remained closed since mid-March, are seeking predictability which is essential to any business plan. Not having this information places businesses at a great disadvantage and is leading some to consider violating the order to remain closed. They understand state licenses may be at risk but are rationalizing they may soon have to permanently close their doors and leave the state anyway,” according to the letter.

“The Department of Health and the governor are continually reassessing conditions to make decisions about the safe operation of various industries. Additional guidance on the green phase will be released in the coming days,” said Wolf spokeswoman Lyndsay Kensinger

The county moved to the yellow phase Friday after nearly two months under the governor’s stay-at-home order that permitted only life-sustaining businesses to operate in their physical locations.

State health officials Monday said Westmoreland has had 432 coronavirus cases diagnosed over the last two months. Local officials said that number does not suggest there is community spread and that additional restrictions should be lifted.

Pennsylvania has reported more than 63,000 coronavirus cases and 4,500 deaths, according to the most current figures.

“If you look at the map, most of the cases in the state are in and around Philadelphia. It’s not the same here in Westmoreland County. Our small businesses are struggling, and we should take steps to reopen them,” Cerilli said. “We hope the governor will amend the yellow phase that will allow us to take steps to allow all business to open so more employees can get back to work.”

Elected officials said businesses such as hair salons and restaurants, as well as youth sports, could safely operate under CDC guidelines.

Officials say the county is ready to move to the green phase, which would lift nearly all of the governor’s coronavirus restrictions, including the prohibition of large gatherings.

“We need to get people back to work,” Kertes said.

The governor’s office has yet to make public details about how and when counties will be transitioned to the green phase.

Reese called on the governor’s office to disclose that criteria.

“We just want to know what we have to do,” he said. “We don’t want them to keep moving the goal posts.”