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Beaver County, 11 Other Counties Enter Green Phase Of Gov. Wolf's Reopening Plan; Erie County Sees A Rise In Case Numbers

HARRISBURG (AP/KDKA) -- Gov. Wolf announced on Friday that Beaver County will enter the green phase next Friday.

Beaver County saw significant case numbers and deaths at Brighton Rehab and Wellness Center. Last week, the Secretary of Health and Human Services announced a federal investigation is being launched after case numbers at the facility topped 350, with more than 70 deaths reported.

Gov. Tom Wolf will also allow 11 more counties that are home to 1.3 million people to join the nearly 4 million who are now in the least-restrictive phase of his three-step pandemic reopening plan. His office said Friday that Adams, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York can join the "green" phase of his stoplight-colored reopening plan in a week.

Meanwhile, nearly 6 million people in Philadelphia and nine other counties in southeastern Pennsylvania became the last in the state Friday to shed Wolf's tightest restrictions.

According to Governor Wolf, Erie County has seen an uptick in COVID-19 case numbers, "which is a concern."

"With these signs of community spread, we need to contain it," Wolf said of Erie County.

As such, Erie County will stay in yellow, and six trained community spread tracers are being sent to the county to help.

Starting today, 16 counties are officially in the green phase, including Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, Indiana and Westmoreland Counties. Gyms, barber shops, hair salons, indoor restaurants, bars and youth sports all resumed operations. The stay-at-home order for Pennsylvania expired at 11:59 Thursday night after Gov. Wolf amended the order, but he has extended the COVID-19 disaster declaration.

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