Ferguson Township Repeals COVID-19 Ordinance

Ferguson Township on Monday night became the latest Centre Region municipality to curtail its local COVID-19 regulations.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to repeal the township’s temporary COVID-19 ordinance, which had included requirements for indoor masking and limits on gathering sizes and carried fines ranging from $100 to $300.

At its last meeting on May 17, supervisors discussed updating the ordinance to follow Department of Health guidance on masking — which was updated days earlier to no longer require face coverings in most circumstances for fully vaccinated individuals — and increasing limits on outdoor gatherings to 100 people.

Since then, however, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced that the mask mandate would be lifted for all people, regardless of vaccination status, by June 28 or when 70% of the state’s adult population is fully vaccinated, whichever comes first. Statewide limits on gatherings were lifted on May 31.

Local municipalities and businesses are still permitted to enforce their own regulations.

Township staff recommended that because of the statewide changes, supervisors repeal the ordinance.

Supervisor Steve Miller said it didn’t make sense to continue with the ordinance.

“To me it seems a given that anyone over the age of 12 is able to get the vaccination now if they want to and that we have no way to tell if someone has or hasn’t been vaccinated, it doesn’t really make sense for us to try to go to an ordinance that differentiates between the two,” Miller said. “I think we should just go ahead and repeal it now.”

DOH and Centers for Disease Control guidance do require masks to be worn in some circumstances, regardless of vaccination status. Those include in doctors’ offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, homeless shelters and prisons and on airplanes, buses and other public transportation.

Ferguson is the third Centre Region township to rescind its local COVID-19 ordinance.

Supervisors voted on May 26 to rescind enforcement of the remaining provisions in Patton Township’s temporary ordinance through its expiration on July 31.

College Township rescinded its ordinance effective May 31.

State College’s ordinance was updated on May 21 to follow the state and federal guidelines for masking. Borough council also voted to increase the limit on outdoor gatherings at residential properties from 25 to 100 people and indoor gatherings from 25 to 50. Outdoor gatherings on municipal property increase from 50 to 100 people.

Penn State will lift most masking requirements in university facilities for individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on June 28. Non-vaccinated individuals, however, will be required to continue wearing masks inside university buildings after that date.