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Pa. DOH says it will lift mask-wearing order by June 28

Alison-beam-DOH
Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam announcing on May 27 that the DOH will lift the mask mandate either when 70% of adults are vaccinated or on June 28.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health says it will end its requirement to wear face masks within a month.

How soon that happens depends on how quickly people complete their immunizations.

Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam says the state will lift the mask-wearing order on June 28 or when 70% of adults are fully vaccinated. 

Whichever one comes first. 

Beam says 70% of adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine, a fact she says bodes well for the state hitting its goal within the next few weeks. 

Still, she urges everyone eligible to get vaccinated.

“If you are 12 or older, we want you to get one of the three safe and effective vaccines that are readily available,” Beam says.

While the end of the mask order means people are not required to wear masks indoors, the risks of Covid-19 remain for those who have not been vaccinated. 

State data show an average of about 1,200 new Covid-19 cases per day this past week. 

That’s down significantly from a surge in cases in April. However, it’s still higher than last summer. 

Beam notes the state’s business mitigation order also is set to expire this weekend, returning restaurants and bars to pre-pandemic occupancy levels. 

She urges people to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, as well as rules on mask wearing set up by businesses or other gathering places.