93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news update with Kathy Romano.

As I said, it is indeed a Thursday, and today is April 23rd.

Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning.

In the news this morning, residents of North Central and

Northwestern Pennsylvania are projected to be the first in the state to be released from

Governor Tom Wolfe's state home order and many retail stores in those areas should be able

to reopen under a statewide plan announced Wednesday night. Wolf wants to begin easing some

pandemic restrictions on May 8th in areas of Pennsylvania that have been lightly impacted by the new coronavirus.

His reopening plan said a region or county will need to average fewer than 50 new positive cases of the virus per 100,000 residents for 14 days in order to begin moving out from under his statewide lockdown.

Many counties in rural Pennsylvania have reported just a few cases total.

The virus has infected more than 35,000 people in Pennsylvania and killed more than 1,600,

but Wolf says the state has made sufficient progress in its fight against COVID-19 to begin

a gradual loosening of restrictions.

Now, right now, all of Pennsylvania is at a red, which is the stages of the plan.

So we're at red, meaning that all 12.8 million residents are under orders to stay at home, and all

non-essential businesses are closed. Regions and counties will then move to the yellow phase, which

would include they're asking that you continue to work from home when possible.

Schools will remain closed. However, child care facilities can open. The stay-at-home orders will be lifted.

Gatherings of 25 or more will be prohibited. In-person retail can resume. However, gym's, movie theaters, casinos will remain closed.

And then you'll continue with the carryout and delivery only. You'll then move to green phase which would be what you know we're all referring to as normal where we can go back

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