Pittsburgh officials plan occupancy checks during St. Patrick's Day weekend

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials on Thursday urged caution in weekend St. Patrick’s Day parties as warm weather moves in and the covid-19 vaccines offer a hope that gatherings and celebrations could return soon along with a sense of normalcy.

“Now is not the time to let down our guard,” Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said in a statement. “Covid-19 has forced us down a long and unwanted path, but this journey will near its end if — and only if — we maintain our discipline in fighting this virus.”

The city’s warnings came a day after Allegheny County leaders urged the same caution and encouraged those who do want to celebrate to keep their gatherings small.

“We know that this virus spreads very efficiently when you take your masks off, you get close to people, you shout, you yell, you sing,” Dr. Debra Bogen, the county health director, said Wednesday in her weekly briefing.

Occupancy limits continue for bars and restaurants — 25% of normal capacity unless a restaurant’s management has completed the state’s online self-certification process, in which case that establishment can operate at 50% capacity.

The prohibition of bar seating and on-site alcohol sales without a food purchase continues, and face masks are still required when moving about a restaurant.

City officials said the fire department will be conducting occupancy checks and will clear out and close any place that exceeds limits.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Tom Wolf’s office told PennLive the governor is not considering any new temporary restrictions ahead of the weekend infamous for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

In early December, Wolf implemented three-week restrictions that, among other things, halted indoor dining as the holiday season ramped up. It came as covid-19 cases continued to rise in the weeks after Halloween and Thanksgiving, a surge that lasted into the New Year.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald noted that each of the viral surges in the county came following major holidays – Memorial Day in late spring and again after Halloween and through the holiday season.

“Both (surges) occurred when we were doing well and got a little complacent,” he said.