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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Golfers, boaters, anglers and campers got some good news Monday when Gov. Tom Wolf announced some restrictions on those outdoor activities will be loosened in the coming days.
Wolf said golf courses, marinas, guided fishing trips and privately owned campgrounds will be allowed to reopen on Friday, as long as they comport with state-issued guidelines to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Campgrounds in state parks will remain closed until mid-May, at least.
Wolf said in a statement that the reopenings amount to "measured limited steps" that will help the economy and be good for mental health.
Robert Kleckner, president of the Pennsylvania Golf Course Owners Association, said his organization pushed hard over the past six weeks to have golf considered a permissible activity.
"It's pretty emotional," Kleckner said after learning of the decision. "You know, we lost hundreds of thousands of operational dollars -- every course did. Not profit dollars. What a relief to myself and my family."
Kleckner said about a quarter of states still have restrictions on golf to help mitigate the pandemic spread. Pennsylvania has more than 500 golf courses.
ELECTIVE SURGERIES
The Department of Health said Monday that hospitals and outpatient centers may resume elective surgeries if they can show they won't jeopardize patient safety or their ability to respond to a sudden spike in COVID-19 patients.
The Wolf administration had ordered hospitals to postpone elective procedures last month in an effort to preserve hospital capacity and medical supplies. The health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said Monday the department has issued guidance allowing the procedures to resume, as long as a hospital can show it has enough personal protective equipment and meet other conditions.
CASES
Nearly 900 additional cases of COVID-19 were reported in Pennsylvania on Monday by the state Health Department, raising the total to more than 42,000 since the pandemic began.
The agency said there have been nearly 1,600 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak so far.