Patton Township is the latest Centre County municipality to rescind COVID-19 regulations
Patton Township’s decision-makers voted Wednesday to halt enforcement of its COVID-19 ordinance.
The township opted to follow state restrictions rather than a local mandate. The vote among the township’s five supervisors was unanimous.
“I think we should just match what the state is saying unless somebody can show us that it’s wrong,” township supervisor Elliott Abrams said before the vote was cast during the board of supervisors meeting.
Suspending enforcement of the ordinance was the quickest way to end the last of the restrictions specific to Patton Township, Manager Doug Erickson said during the meeting. Those restrictions put limitations on gathering size.
Repealing the ordinance would require another ordinance, something Abrams said can take an “inordinate” amount of time. The township could also allow the ordinance to lapse July 31 or when the state lifts its emergency declaration.
Patton Township is the most recent municipality in the Centre Region to do away with enforcement of its COVID-19 ordinance. College Township voted last week to rescind its ordinance effective Monday.
State College loosened its mask mandate Friday, but opted to keep limits on the amount of people who can gather. Ferguson Township is scheduled to discuss its ordinance during a June 7 meeting.
The state’s mask order is set to be lifted no later than June 28.
It could be lifted sooner if 70% of adults in the Keystone State are vaccinated before that date, Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said Thursday.
“Yesterday, we hit a milestone with 70% of adults receiving at least one dose of vaccine,” Beam said in a statement. “That’s a strong indicator that we are on track to get at least that many getting both doses by the end of June.”