Leaders, businesses react to Gov. Wolf’s announcement: Most of western Pa. going green

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that 16 counties in western and central Pennsylvania, including much of the Pittsburgh area, will move into the green phase on June 5. They will join 17 Pennsylvania counties that moved into the green phase on May 29.

The only county without a timeline of when it will move to green is Beaver County.

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• 9 local counties to move into green phase next week
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Leaders and businesses across our region have been preparing for the green phase, and they’re ready to get back to business.

Allegheny County leaders say we’re not out of the woods yet

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald told Channel 11 it was hard work over the past two months that allowed this move to become reality.

However, leaders have stressed we are not out of the woods yet. As restaurants, hair salons, gyms and spas open back up next week, it’s up to everyone to keep the numbers down.

Fitzgerald also said he expects many businesses to not feel comfortable enough going green right out of the gate.

“It’s one thing to now be permitted under state regulations to open up, but that doesn’t mean that the public in general is going to come back in the numbers they did before,” he said.

County officials said as we transition to the green phase and move into the summer and fall months, testing will be vital in virus mitigation.

“We can continue to do as much testing as we can ... as much contact tracing as we can, so if there is a test that’s positive, we can isolate and quarantine (anyone) exposed to that,” Fitzgerald said.

South Hills businesses eager to welcome customers back in green phase

Within the past two days, the Crafty Jackalope Bar & Grille in Bridgeville has gotten 250 calls asking when its doors will be open again.

After Wolf’s announcement Friday, staff now has an answer, and they are very excited about the idea.

“We’re scrambling around here measuring everything and ordering stickers and plastic gizmos, and we’re just trying to prepare for that day,” said owner Jason Simoni.

Some of the required health guidelines include wearing masks and social distancing even while eating with family members.

Dallas Michelucci, who owns Dallas Beauty Salon, told Channel 11 she’s going above and beyond to make sure clients feel safe when they walk in the doors for the first time in more than two months.

“We’ve adjusted hours, so our plan is to be open 12 hours a day for most of the week here and at our other location," she said.

Adjusting to new normal in Westmoreland County

When gym goers hit the weights again next week, the atmosphere will feel a little different and a little less crowded.

“They’ll see probably half our equipment has signs on it saying it’s out of service due to social distancing. (We) tried to figure out about six feet between each machine," said Roman Carloni, assistant manager at the Aerobic Center at Lynchfield in Greensburg.

The Aerobic Center is putting in as many safety measures as possible, such as more sanitation stations, a barrier between staff and members, and cutting exercise classes in half.

Carloni said they will also monitor how many people come inside to work out, in accordance with the 50% occupancy limit from state health officials.

At places like The Palace Theater, the show must go on. The Palace can hold 1,300 people at full capacity, so the CEO told Channel 11 the national acts will be put on hold for now.

And the theater will be relying on local artists and talent to fill about half the seats. The theater will also launch live streaming to accommodate capacity issues.

It’s weekly outdoor summer concert series should be back online by mid-June in a bigger, outdoor venue to accommodate guidelines.

It’s unclear whether or not gym members will have to wear masks when they come inside. Staff are still waiting for guidance from health officials.

Westmoreland County preparing to transition into the green phase Westmoreland County preparing to transition into the green phase

North Hills businesses ready for reopening measures in green phase

The Oven in Wexford has gone to great lengths adapting its business over the past few months. That’s why the space had been transformed into a curbside pickup center.

But that will soon change.

Even though capacity for restaurants, and most businesses, will be limited to just 50% even in the green phase starting June 5, the owner of The Oven is not concerned.

“We have big garage doors here, so when we open up our restaurant we are basically an indoor outdoor restaurant. And we can flex out way into our courtyard," said James Samreny.

Seating will be spaced out six feet apart and tables will be cleaned in between customers. However, it’s not just restaurants getting ready for the transition. Hair and nail salons are taking just as many precautions to ensure safety.

At Elle’s Beauty Bar in Cranberry Township, it will be appointment only, and clients should expect to get their temperature checked when they walk in.

North Hills businesses ready for reopening measures in green phase North Hills businesses ready for reopening measures in green phase

What you can expect when Pennsylvania counties move to green phase What you can expect when Pennsylvania counties move to green phase

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