Local school districts will allow full capacity at football game after state’s restrictions ruled unconstitutional

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two days since the state’s tough gathering restrictions were ruled unconstitutional, a local school district says it will allow full capacity at the football game.

Channel 11 drove to Harrisburg to talk to the governor, asking him when his administration will appeal that federal ruling and what Pennsylvanians should do in the meantime.

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This week a federal judge ruled certain pandemic restrictions mandated by the Wolf administration were unconstitutional. Specifically, the governor’s plan ordered the closing of non-life-sustaining businesses and stiffened gathering restrictions. The court ruled that the administration had good intentions to protect people from the coronavirus but its orders went too far.

Gov. Wolf does not agree with that and told Channel 11 things are happening now to appeal this.

“They’re filing, I think today, for a stay. And depending on how that comes out, they’ll file the appeal,” Wolf said.

Right now, the statewide order is still in effect, which limits gatherings to 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors.

Karns City School District in Butler County said on the advice of its solicitor, and because of this federal ruling, it’s opening up all of its sports to spectators. Friday night is the first football game in the stadium, which can hold 2,000 people.

The district said it will follow CDC guidelines regarding social distancing and mask wearing. We asked the governor if that’s OK? With this federal ruling, do people have to obey the state’s gathering restrictions?

“You put 3000 people together packed in closely, my bet is that the virus is really going to like that. And if you look into getting people infected, that’s a good way to do it,”Wolf said.

The governor told Channel 11 regardless of the number, this is really about the virus and how we stop the spread.

Butler Area School District said they will now allow the band and cheerleaders on the field, and every students participating in the game will get two tickets free of charge.

Both school districts told Channel 11 they will be following CDC and mask guidelines and social distancing.

“We’re actually trying to figure out what we can do to get some guidance quickly to the school districts while we’re going through this process,” Wolf said.

The governor said those guides for school districts should be out by the end of the week.

Questions continue as Pa. state lawmakers say state should not control crowd size for school sports

Cox Media Group