Pennsylvania will lift all capacity restrictions on businesses, events and venues on Monday as the state begins to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
As the state eases distancing and mask mandates, health officials are still failing to successfully vaccinate communities that have been disadvantaged from the start.
Up to three quarters of all newly diagnosed Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom are attributed to the variant first identified in India, Britain's health minister Matt Hancock said at a news conference on Monday.
Officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Thursday that the state s mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or when 70 percent of adults get their second dose, whichever comes first.
The announcement comes after the department announced Wednesday that 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said Wednesday s milestone is a strong indicator the state will see at least that many second doses by the end of June.
âPennsylvanians are realizing that they have the power to stop COVID-19 and they are stepping up to get vaccinated,  Beam said in a news release. âThe Department of Health will continue to make getting a vaccine as convenient as possible by making it widely available and supporting equitable and effective efforts to reach every Pennsylvanian who wants it.âÂ