Gov. Tom Wolf has loosened or lifted some statewide COVID-19 restrictions effective immediately, citing falling statewide case numbers and growing vaccination numbers he says equal "a light at the end of the tunnel." 

Occupancy limits for both indoor and outdoor events have been increased, while out-of-state travel restrictions in place since November have been lifted entirely. Mask mandates and social distancing rules remain in effect.

Under the revised gathering rules, maximum occupancy limits are increasing to 15% of an indoor venue’s capacity and 20% of an outdoor venue’s capacity. 

Within hours of the announcement, at least one Pennsylvania sports team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, said it would host the maximum number of fans allowed — in that case around 7,500 people — on opening day in April.

THE CONTEXT: Monday’s softening of statewide COVID-19 rules would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, when Pennsylvania was setting near-daily records for new COVID-19 cases amid a dramatic cold-weather resurgence.

But Wolf said Pennsylvania’s vaccination numbers are climbing now after a troubled rollout. He also noted a desire to lessen impacts after a year of dire economic and societal disruptions.

“We need to balance protecting public health with leading the state to a robust economic recovery," Wolf added. 

And while public health officials nationwide have warned against easing COVID-19 rules too quickly, Wolf says his administration will do so "only when we believe it is safe."

NEXT UP? Pennsylvania teachers could become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as this week under a proposal being considered by Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the joint task force on vaccine distribution, LancasterOnline reports. With mounting pressure to reopen schools for in-person classes and unions urging vaccinations of teachers before that happens, joint task force members say the state is considering earmarking a shipment of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine to get shots to as many educators as possible. 

SCHOOL FIGHTS: One year after Pennsylvania's first coronavirus-related school closures, many of the commonwealth's biggest districts still have yet to reopen for in-person learning, prompting some parents to take drastic action, The New York Times reports. This includes running for office, suing, relocating to states where in-person learning is required, and retreating to private schools. “We believe in the value of public education,” a suburban Philadelphia father told the paper. “Or we did.”

PAPER TRAIL: Twenty-five-year-old Madison Cawthorn's journey to becoming a Trump-backed congressman and darling of the far-right included a near-fatal car crash, allegations of sexual misconduct, and money from a Pennsylvania billionaire, the Washington Post reports. According to the paper's lengthy exposé, Cawthorn's longshot bid benefited significantly from a political action committee that received millions from Jeff Yass, a Bala Cynwyd billionaire with a history of giving to election deniers and extremist candidates.

TENANT POWER: A public health emergency coupled with a housing emergency, the likes of which we haven't seen since 2008, has given rise to a potent and hard-nosed renter power movement in places like Pittsburgh, PublicSource reports. From political organizing to forming "eviction defense" teams and landlord "walls of shame," a class-conscious tenants' rights movement is booming with eviction filings mounting and a federal moratorium weeks from expiring.  

'GAG ORDER': A new Chester County ethics policy includes a confidentiality clause that forbids many government workers from discussing their jobs with anyone — friends, family, and certainly the press. The policy comes on the heels of an Inquirer report revealing major problems with the county’s COVID-19 antibody testing program. Critics are pushing back, saying the policy will have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights and whistleblower protections, The Inquirer reports.