It's not enough to just wear a mask when you're out in a public place, in Pennsylvania you must now wear one in your own private residence.
Pennsylvania officials are tightening mask requirements in the Keystone State, requiring masks in instances where individuals who are not members of the same household are “present in the same space” indoors, including private residences.
Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s transgender health secretary, detailed the requirements in an updated order Tuesday, explaining that the virus “continues to spread” despite the mitigation efforts implemented earlier in the year. As a result, Levine is looking to universal masking as the first line of defense, claiming that “universal face coverings, even when not clinical-level masks, have been an effective mitigation strategy to prevent and control the spread of disease.
His letter lists eight instances where a mask is required. The list essentially requires individuals to wear a mask in most instances, unless he or she is within their own household along with members who also reside there.
Per the order, a mask is required “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.”
The order does not explicitly provide an exception for gatherings at private residences. The AP also acknowledged that the order applies to private homes but added that the health secretary “acknowledged that officials are relying on voluntary compliance rather than on enforcement.”
HARRISBURG, PA,- MAY 16: Rachel Levine, MD, physician general for the state of Pennsylvania, dines with his mother Lillian Levine, in Harrisburg, PA, on May 16, 2016. Levine is transgender and has a close relationship with his mother. (Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)