April 23, 2020
PA Rolls Out Its Plan to Reopen
As reported in the
Philadelphia Business Journal
yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf announced a plan to reopen parts of Pennsylvania on May 8. Much of Pennsylvania has been shut down for more than six weeks and under stay-at-home orders and other restrictions. Construction will be allowed beginning May 1.
According to
Pennsylvania Real-Time News
, all construction projects performed by private and public companies in Pa. will be able to restart on May 1. “We are working with the industry to make sure there are strict guidelines regarding safety, social distancing, and wearing of masks, so that we can do this in a safe way,” Wolf said during a news conference. Specific guidelines were not announced,
The article pointed out that Pennsylvania was one of a few, if not the only, states in the U.S. to halt almost all construction work. Exceptions included essential projects or projects related to healthcare facilities. Certain contractors were able to receive a waiver to continue work.
The color-coded plan classifies counties and regions of Pennsylvania in three phases — red, yellow and green. Each phase determines how fast the restrictions would be lifted. All of Pennsylvania is red right now. The first regions to be moved to stage yellow on May 8 would be in northwest and north-central Pennsylvania. The timeline for other parts of the state, including southwestern Pennsylvania, will be released later. None in the initial release areas are near Philadelphia.
It's also not clear when all of Pennsylvania will be able to move from red, where it is right now with stay-at-home orders and closures of nonessential businesses and schools for the entire commonwealth, to green where most of the restrictions are lifted, although with the social distancing and other recommendations from state and federal health officials.
According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, moving a region from red to yellow means releasing stay-at-home restrictions. In-person retail and businesses with in-person operations will be allowed to open with physical distancing. Other measures such as telework "must continue where feasible." Childcare facilities can open "with worker and building safety orders." However, bars and restaurants will continue to be limited to carry-out or delivery only services. Restrictions on nursing homes and schools will continue. Large gatherings, indoor recreation, gyms, health and wellness centers and entertainment venues will remain restricted.
In the yellow phase, individuals and businesses in the region will have to follow physical distancing and other state and federal regulations. Once an area moves to the green stage, restrictions will be lifted, but social distancing and other recommendations from state and federal health officials will remain in effect.
New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy has not yet announced his plan for opening the state.
We will share more details as they become available. Please visit our
COVID-19 Resource Page
for more updates.
Feel free to contact any member of our team at (610) 828-1900 (PA) or (732) 341-3893 (NJ) with questions. Rich Higgins, CPA, managing principal – New Jersey office can be contacted at
Richard.Higgins@MCC-CPAs.com
. I can be reached at
Marty.McCarthy@MCC-CPAs.com
. As always, we are happy to help.
Stay safe,
Marty McCarthy, CPA, CCIFP
Managing Partner
McCarthy & Company
Disclaimer: This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Information contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used as tax advice, and cannot be used by the recipient to avoid penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. We strongly advise you to seek professional assistance with respect to your specific issue(s).
