Gov. Tom Wolf today announced that eight more counties will move to the green phase of reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 19. These counties include Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Luzerne, Monroe, Perry, Pike, and Schuylkill.

Effective today, there are 46 counties in green and 21 in yellow.

According to analysis by the New York Times, new COVID-19 cases are declining in less than half of all U.S. states and territories.

“In Pennsylvania, not only did we flatten the curve, but we are continuing to keep case counts down even as we open our commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said. “We will continue to take a measured, phased approach to reopening that relies on science and health experts.”

The green phase eases most restrictions by lifting the stay-at-home and business closure orders to allow the economy to strategically reopen while continuing to prioritize public health. Some restrictions, such as mask-wearing, do remain in place.

While this phase facilitates a return to a “new normal,” it is equally important to continue to monitor public health indicators and adjust orders and restrictions as necessary to ensure the spread of disease remains at a minimum.

The new designation, which will take effect in one week, allows gyms, barbers and theaters to reopen. Bars and restaurants may allow indoor dining, at half their normal capacity.

Gatherings of up to 250 people are permitted in green zones.

State lawmakers, split largely along party lines, voted this week in the Republican-majority Legislature for a resolution to end the governor’s shutdown, and Senate Republicans promptly filed an action in Commonwealth Court seeking to compel Wolf to follow it. That matter is pending. On Friday, the court ordered the parties to file briefs over the coming two weeks.

By next Friday, 54 of 67 counties will have been designated green. Remaining in the more restrictive yellow phase are Philadelphia and southeastern counties, where the coronavirus has had the worst impact; parts of the Poconos region, Lehigh Valley and northeastern Pennsylvania; and Erie, Lebanon and Lancaster counties.

A dozen more counties joined the green designation on Friday, after Wolf announced their status change a week ago. They are Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York.

The Health Department said Friday there were 49 new COVID-19 deaths in the state, bringing the total to 6,162. The 686 additional infections it also reported mean nearly 78,000 Pennsylvanians have been positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began.