Pennsylvania mandates mask-wearing inside your home. Americans react.
November 18, 2020 |  | 

Pennsylvania just took coronavirus mandates to another level with an order requiring the wearing of masks inside private homes.

The state’s Democrat Governor Tom Wolf told residents that following coronavirus “mitigation efforts and orders in place are more important than ever” as confirmed cases of COVID-19 surge across the nation. And Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health announced new measures to stem the spread of the virus including an at-home mask-wearing order.

Dr. Rachel Levine announced that the mask mandate that was first issued in April is being strengthened with the new order, requiring protective face coverings to be worn indoors and outdoors, including private homes as well as food service facilities, schools, gyms, and on public transportation.

“Wearing a mask is really one of the simplest steps we can all take to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is critical,” Levine said.

“Masks are still required. Indoors: masks now required anytime you’re with people outside of your household, even if you’re socially distant. Applies to all indoor facilities + if you have people in your home not part of your household,” a tweet on Tuesday from the PA Department of Health explained.

The new order, which takes effect on Friday, November 20, requires that masks be worn “indoors or in an enclosed space, where another person or persons who are not members of the individual’s household are present in the same space, irrespective of physical distance.”

In addition, the order also targets those traveling to Pennsylvania from other states, requiring them to get tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving. People seeking medical treatment and those who must commute to and from work are exempt from the order.

“If you do not have your test result when you come to Pennsylvania, then you need to quarantine until you get a negative test result,” Levine said,

Safety orders were taken further in Philadelphia which announced on Monday that indoor gatherings and dining are now prohibited and casinos, gyms, museums and libraries are being shuttered.

“It is our collective responsibility to protect our communities and our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians from COVID-19 and to continue to work together to get through this pandemic. These targeted mitigation efforts, combined with existing ones, are paramount to saving lives and protecting our economy,” Wolf said in a statement.

“The administration will continue to monitor the risks posed by COVID-19 across the commonwealth and will reinstate or institute new targeted mitigation tactics as necessary,” he added.

Pennsylvania is reporting nearly 6,000 new COVID-19 infections in one day as the state has reported over 9,000 deaths due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the latest measures to reduce the spread of the virus were not exactly welcomed by all on social media. Many Twitter users slammed the updated face mask mandates, wondering how the government even proposes to enforce such a ludicrous order.