The scaled back state restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings due to COVID-19 is expected to usher in the return of the outdoor festivals and shows that make summers fun.

On March 1, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that outdoor venues are now allowed to host events up to 20% of their maximum capacity and indoor occupancy will be 15% of maximum capacity.

Limits for outdoor events were 2,500 people for venues with a capacity of more than 10,000, 15% for venues with occupancy limits of up to 2,000 and 10% for venues with capacity limits between 2,000 and 10,000.

Indoor event spaces had been limited to either 5% or 10% of their maximum occupancy, and no events were permitted to have more than 500 people.

Large outdoor events held at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township and the Big Butler Fairgrounds in Prospect that were canceled last year due to the pandemic should be able to take place this summer, said Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau.

“It's absolutely going to have a big impact on our outdoor stuff. I would bet anything outdoors is going to take place this summer,” Cohen said.

An event new to the county, Butler Bikes and Barbecue, is scheduled for July 22 to 25 at the farm show grounds, he added.

“I'm excited. The changes are going to benefit everybody in our community. It's very encouraging,” he said.

Easing the indoor gathering restrictions isn't likely to help restaurants because they remain limited to 50% capacity, and bars are still not allowed to open, he said.

“It's a great beginning to start the process, and the process will change when more people get inoculated,” Cohen said.

Jordan Grady, executive director of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, said all businesses are looking forward to the elimination of all restrictions.

“Obviously, we don't want to see any restrictions on anyone in the private sector, so as the restrictions ease we're heading in the right direction to get all the pandemic restrictions lapsed and start building back to where we were before March 2020,” Grady said.

Despite the loosening of some restrictions, acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Alison Beam said wearing face masks will continue to be required.“At this time, mask wearing is abundantly important — and I want to make sure to emphasize that because while we know we're making progress and we continue to invest in the vaccine rollout, we have to keep Pennsylvania safe while we progress through this rollout, so that we don't have to go back into mitigation efforts. At this stage, mask wearing is still mandatory,” Beam said during a Thursday press conference.The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 2,757 new cases of COVID-19 across the state Friday, including 20 new cases in the county. The new cases raise the statewide total number to 944,196 and the county total to 9,021 since the pandemic began.There are 1,628 people hospitalized, including 350 people in intensive care units in the state. The 14-day average number of hospitalized people is about 4,200 lower than it was at the peak on Dec. 25 and below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3.Butler Memorial Hospital is treating five coronavirus patients, including one in the intensive care unit.The department said there were 43 new deaths as of March 4, increasing the total to 24,262, including two new deaths in the county, raising the total to 371.A total of 2,777,440 vaccine doses were administered through March 4, including 1,909,291 first doses and 868,149 second doses. In the county, 15,708 people have received first doses and 19,750 have received both doses.In licensed nursing and personal care homes, 67,687 residents and 13,381 employees have contracted the virus. The department said 12,611 residents from nursing or personal care facilities have died since the pandemic began. About 25,126 of the total cases in the state are among health care workers.