A flurry of orders came from a virtual state briefing Thursday, leaving Pennsylvanians with many new restrictions to digest.

“Stand with me. Unite against COVID,” said Gov. Tom Wolf.

By authority of the governor and the state Department of Health, new “limited-time” mitigation orders will take effect beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and continue until 8 a.m. Jan. 4.

Wolf said the new measures have several goals in helping the state to stop the virus' spread: keeping hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed, and helping Pennsylvanians get safely through the holiday season and closer to a widely available vaccine.

“This is a bridge to a better future in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said.

One of the key restrictions imposed by the orders closes indoor dining at all restaurants and bars. Outdoor dining, take-out and curbside pickup will all still be available options for both food and alcohol sales.

“Are we wearing masks at all times? During meals, eating and drinking will complicate that,” said Dr. Meda Higa of York College. “Believe in the science, please. Use good decision making tactics and wear a mask.”

Casinos, entertainment venues, gyms and fitness facilities were all listed specifically to close, and other businesses operating in-person, including retail, hair salons and grocery stores, among others, must operate at 50% capacity.

The restrictions blanketing many businesses prompted questions about the support of the hardest hit industry. Wolf said he will rely on the federal government to support the state's businesses affected by his decision.

In the past, Wolf said he supported the Restaurant Act of 2020, which would establish a $120 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund that would distribute relief to food service and drinking establishments affected by COVID-19. The bill has stalled in the U.S. Senate.

“It is of no fault to the restaurant and bar owners that the virus does well in those environments,” Wolf said. “We're not targeting anybody; the virus is.”

The orders also readjust gathering capacity limits with outdoor gatherings of any kind limited to 50 people and indoor gatherings limited to 10 people. Religious gatherings are the only exception to the latter.

Indoor and outdoor sports are suspended, including practices and condition sessions. The only exceptions are for professional and collegiate athletics.

Wolf said enforcement will continue to be more apparent as state law enforcement agencies refocus their efforts and as state officials work with local departments and other enforcement agencies to ensure the public follows the latest orders.

“We're working through all those to continue to do whatever we can to increase enforcement,” Wolf said. “That's a very important part of this.”

Levine said the Department of Health will be watching case rates, hospitalizations and percent positivity carefully in the coming weeks to determine the effectiveness of the measures. She said it could be about two weeks, which is the maximum incubation period of the virus, to see the results.

“With these current mitigation measures, we're hopeful that we start to see an improvement by the end of December,” she said.

County breaks single-day case record

According to Wednesday's report by the department, Butler County added 160 new confirmed cases, breaking its single-day addition record of 128 cases that were added Wednesday. This is the third time in the past week the record has risen.

In addition to the new cases, the data also showed six new deaths among county residents.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,178 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 110 have died from the virus.

Wolf had issued less-strict orders about a week before Thanksgiving, but has said multiple times since then that the measures did not have the desired effect.

“This really we think stems from families getting together and the heavy travel from Thanksgiving,” Wolf said. “When you go back to September and even October, it really wasn't as bad as it is now. It has really taken off exponentially.”

Vaccination distribution discussed

Levine said that by the end of the three weeks of new mitigation tactics, the state should be in the midst of distributing at least one vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the Pfizer vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization, and the Moderna vaccine could be approved as early as next week. “We anticipate the distribution and administration of the vaccines as early as next week,” Levine said.

The first phase of the state's distribution plans focus on hospitals and vaccinating health care workers, especially those working closest to the virus.

Both discussed vaccines include two-shot treatment.

Levine said by the time the Moderna vaccine receives approval, it could be directed to health care professionals, allowing the Pfizer vaccine to then become available to the state's pharmacy partners.

The nursing homes and communal living facilities, included in the second phase of distribution, would be able to begin receiving vaccinations through those avenues. Those distributions may come as early as the end of December or the beginning of January.

The distribution plans include the general public in the third phase.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is going to take time as we work to distribute the vaccines through the different phases through the population of Pennsylvania,” Levine said.