Skip Navigation

12 Pa. counties, including Cumberland, move to yellow phase of Wolf’s reopening plan Friday; what changes?

What can residents in Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, and York counties expect to change?

  • By Greg Pickel/PennLive
The Carlisle Theatre, seen in this April 27 photo, closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 Kate Landis / PA Post

The Carlisle Theatre, seen in this April 27 photo, closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is to equip you with the information you need. Rather than chase every update, we’ll try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See all of our stories here.

What you should know
» Coronavirus facts & FAQ
» Day-by-day look at the coronavirus in Pa.
» What the governor’s stay-at-home order means


(Harrisburg) – Twelve Pa. counties will start Memorial Day weekend by moving into the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus reopening plan.

What can residents in Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne, and York counties expect to change as of 12:01 a.m. Friday?

Large parties like those typically seen in parks and other outdoor venues during the holiday still won’t be allowed, but residents in the counties listed above, along with the 37 other ones that previously moved to the yellow phase, can have gatherings of up to 25 people. Keep in mind that, in the red phase, otherwise known as the complete stay at home order, groups must be limited to 10 or less.

Additionally, retailers with exterior entrances that have been closed because they were on Gov. Tom Wolf’s list of non-life sustaining businesses can open their doors again in the yellow zone. It was not immediately clear how many of those places would welcome customers again starting Friday morning, but we do know that Boscov’s locations in York and Camp Hill will. It should be noted, too, that while in-person shopping is allowed, curbside fulfillment of orders is recommended but not required.

Child care centers can also get back to work in the yellow phase, as can pet groomers, but indoor malls, casinos, entertainment venues like race tracks, barbershops, nail and hail salons, and massage therapists, among other things, cannot yet get going again.

Finally, there is no intrastate or out-of-state travel ban in place, and so it isn’t illegal, but perhaps also not advisable, for those in a red county to visit a yellow county and/or leave the state to visit, say, the Jersey Shore or another vacation destination.

Wolf announces per capita cases, other benchmark goals for reopening Pa.

Wolf has declared the next set of counties heading to yellow on Friday in each of the last few weeks, but it’s unclear if the 18 still stuck in the red phase will receive advancement news at the end of this week. Similarly, the governor and his administration have yet to reveal what criteria will be used to move counties in the yellow to the green phase, and when that could occur.

PennLive and The Patriot-News are partners with PA Post.

Support for WITF is provided by:

Become a WITF sponsor today »

Support for WITF is provided by:

Become a WITF sponsor today »

Up Next
Regional & State News

Pa. National Guard called in to assist with testing at Berks County nursing home