Wolf acts. Not a word about enforcement, though.

Pennsylvania mandates masks for anyone who leaves their home amid COVID-19 spike

Face masks are now mandatory in all public spaces, according to an order signed Wednesday by Gov. Tom Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine.

The order requires masks to be worn inside where the general public is admitted and outdoors when a distance of 6 feet cannot be consistently maintained.

Also on Wednesday, a divided state Supreme Court ruled the GOP-controlled Legislature cannot force Mr. Wolf to end his coronavirus disaster declaration, handing the Democratic governor a victory that could be vital should cases surge again.

The mask order was made amid an uptick of new positive cases of COVID-19. 

The state health department on Wednesday reported over 600 new cases of the virus, including 194 in Western Pennsylvania. 

In Allegheny County, 110 were reported, the second straight day the county reported more than 100 cases.

. . . .

There are a few exceptions to the order, including for individuals with medical or mental health conditions or those with disabilities. 

Exceptions also will be allowed for workers where a mask would be deemed unsafe, such as when operating equipment. 

Children under the age of 2 also will not be required to wear a mask.

. . . .

Writing for the majority, Justice David Wecht emphasized that the court was not offering an opinion on Mr. Wolf’s response to the pandemic, but rather whether lawmakers could act without facing the governor’s veto.

The resolution “required presentment,” Justice Wecht wrote, “a key component of our Constitution’s balance of powers among the several branches of government, a balance that prevents one branch from dominating the others.”

The justices also ruled the governor’s actions to suspend laws are consistent with the powers the Legislature granted him.

“Current members of the General Assembly may regret that decision, but they cannot use an unconstitutional means to give that regret legal effect,” Justice Wecht wrote, adding, “the powers delegated to the Governor are admittedly far-reaching, but nonetheless are specific.”

For holiday weekend, Pittsburgh police will focus on ensuring mask wearing, social distancing

Despite Governor Tom Wolf’s expanded mask-wearing order, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh Public Safety said Thursday the department will not fine people for not wearing masks outside and will remain focused on education and counsel.