Bucks County Will Enter The Green Phase of Reopening Next Friday; Philadelphia Not Far Behind

Bucks County will enter the final "green stage" of the state of Pennsylvania's reopening plan next Friday (June 26), Governor Tom Wolf just announced. Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties will also enter the green phase.

Plus, the city of Philadelphia will enter a modified green phase, as we reported yesterday.

In the green phase of reopening (with the exception of Philadelphia), all businesses may reopen and most restrictions are lifted as of Friday (June 26). Yes, this means indoor dining and personal care businesses will be allowed to reopen.

Masks will be required and capacities will be limited at indoor businesses such as restaurants and stores. All businesses must follow the guidelines issued by the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health. Gatherings of up to 250 people will also be allowed under the state's green phase.

Bucks County entered the yellow phase of the state's reopening plan on June 5, but the county continues to meet the key metrics (regarding caseload) necessary to reach the green phase, officials say.

As a result, during a press county press conference held on Thursday, the health officials said they were hopeful they'd enter the "green phase" of the state's reopening plans. They remain cautiously optimistic that the county will continue to see a steady rate of COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks.

"Thinking about the gym and my hair and the dog getting groomed, all in the same day," Bucks County's Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Diane Ellis Marseglia joked on Thursday.

The director of the Bucks County Department of Health, Dr. David Damsker, said during a Thursday press conference that he expected the current rate of cases to be steady for months.

"We have probably 10-15 cases every single day, we don't think we're going to go much lower than that. We expect to have that many cases every day going forward (for) months, possibly for longer than that, depending on if there's ever a vaccine."

Meanwhile, the city of Philadelphia has opted for a modified rollout of the green phase. On June 26 some "Green phase" businesses will resume including pools, outdoor zoos, and personal services (such as salons).

Philadelphia will slowly roll out plans to open indoor dining, casinos, and more on July 3. Click here to see more details about the city's plans.
This is a developing story. We'll have more details when they're made available.