During the last few months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania’s restaurants have been forced to operate at 25 percent indoor capacity. Later this month, restaurants will have the ability to increase their indoor capacity to 50 percent, provided that they commit to strictly complying with public health safety guidelines and orders with a self-certification process.
The process will be used as part of the ongoing enforcement efforts from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the State Police. Restaurants that want to self-certify will be able to access several documents online starting on September 21st. That will include a list of requirements contained in the restaurant industry guidance and enforcement efforts, a statement that the owner has reviewed and agrees to follow the requirements, the businesses maximum indoor capacity based on fire code, and a statement that the owner is subject to penalties for lying to authorities.
As part of the self-certification process, restaurants will receive “open and certified Pennsylvania” branded materials to use in their establishment, and it will also be listed in an online database that will be posted online for restaurant-goers to use.
Restaurant owners with questions can send an email to covidselfcert@pa.gov.
The Department of Community and Economic Development has released a Frequently Asked Questions document on the topic, and that can be found by clicking the link below.
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