Allegheny County asks for cooperation as covid restrictions loosen

Allegheny County’s top health official urged caution as covid-19 restrictions continue to loosen across the state and county but expressed optimism as the county’s case count which “continues to look quite steady.”

“We can’t let down our guard,” said Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen.

The county reported 43 new positive cases over the previous 24 hours, bringing the running total since March to 12,897. Three more deaths brought the countywide total to 393.

Bogen said most of the new cases can be traced back to group events like parties, funerals and weddings. She said people tend to let their guard down at such events, as they’re usually around people they know. Keeping physically distant and wearing a mask is still important in those settings, she said.

Bogen urged that same caution as sports and entertainment venues move to a capacity-based occupancy limit as opposed to the previous limits of 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors.

The move, announced Tuesday by Gov. Tom Wolf, limits indoor events 10% to 20% of capacity, depending upon the venue’s size, and outdoor events can admit 15% to 25%. The largest venues are capped at 3,750 individuals indoors and 7,500 outdoors. The Steelers will allow some fans to attend Sunday’s game at Heinz Field.

Bogen said that for most venues, the capacity limits are such that “people can really spread out.” She encouraged those attendees to sit only with members of their household and otherwise spread out as much as possible.

Some high schools had already been allowing set numbers of fans into Friday night football games and other events. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was pleased with what he’d seen so far.

“The reports we’ve been getting are of almost universal mask-wearing and social and physical distancing and people cooperating,” he said.

He said that bodes well for the rest of the season and beyond.

“If people continue to cooperate we know we can do a lot of functions safely and we can do a lot of functions that can open up even more,” Fitzgerald said. “If they don’t, I’m sure the governor will probably go the other way and start to close things down.”