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Pennsylvania Expands Indoor Dining Capacity To 50%, Philadelphia Remains At 25%

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) - Starting Monday, restaurants in Pennsylvania can expand their indoor dining occupancy to 50%. Several restrictions remain in place, including an order requiring alcohol sales to stop by 11 p.m., an hour later than originally planned.

"The move to 25% ... was an attempt to flatten the curve in Pennsylvania. We were starting to see a troubling rise," Wolf said at a news conference in Lancaster earlier this month. "Now I think we're at a point where we are ready to lift that, partially."

Establishments that want to increase capacity must certify to the state that they are complying with all public health guidelines. Those restaurants will appear in a searchable state database called Open & Certified Pennsylvania, the administration said.

The Wolf administration had planned to force bars and restaurants to stop selling alcohol at 10 p.m. as of Monday, saying it wanted to discourage people from congregating, particularly young people who have been contracting the virus at elevated rates.

But the administration changed last call to 11 p.m. after getting pushback from restaurant and bar owners. The administration said the change also brings Pennsylvania in line with other states.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia will not be joining the rest of the state today. Occupancy at city restaurants remains at 25%. No word on when indoor dining capacity will increase in Philly.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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