Newtown Prepares For Green Phase: What To Expect

NEWTOWN, PA — The green phase of coronavirus mitigation is almost here in Bucks County, and Newtown's local economy is starting to hum once again. On Friday, Bucks County will move into the green phase along with the rest of southeastern Pennsylvania, the most lax phase of Gov. Tom Wolf's reopening plan.

For the first time since the pandemic brought the region and much of the world to a grinding halt in mid-March, indoor dining, bars, barbershops, gyms, and more are allowed to reopen.

Green phase does not mean business as usual, however, officials are quick to remind the public. While coronavirus cases have steeply dropped around southeastern Pennsylvania, the threat of the virus remains, health officials warn. As of Thursday, Pennsylvania has reported 83,770 cases of COVID-19, and 6,557 deaths.

All businesses must continue to abide by the state Department of Health's guidance for operating in the COVID-19 disaster emergency.

“We’re very excited for all businesses to finally open next Friday; it’s been a long road for many of them,” said David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department. “Our citizens have done a terrific job of being mindful of the precautions needed to keep community spread of COVID low, and we need them to continue doing so in the green phase.”

One of the biggest changes from yellow to green is that restaurants and bars are permitted to open up to 50 percent capacity. Many Newtown restaurants have already opened their outdoor dining rooms, and many more will start welcoming customers indoors as of this weekend.

Newtown restaurants, including Rocco's at the Brick and Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, will be opening with limited seating. Harvest will be opening its indoor dining with tables and booths socially distant. Rocco's confirms they'll be seating at 50 percent capacity.

Solstice, one of Newtown's newest restaurants that was forced to close a week after opening due to the pandemic, has reopened its outdoor patio. The restaurant will open its indoor dining room on Friday as well.

"We have been preparing for this moment for weeks and are so glad it's finally here," said Rick Matteoda-Darby, who opened the restaurant with his parents, Anna and Rick, just before the onset of the pandemic. "We knew with the help our amazing staff and team we would come back stronger and can't wait for our returning and new guests to try Solstice's new summer menu."

Indoor seating at the Newtown Brewing Company will reopen Friday at 3 p.m. Expect some new social distancing and cleaning protocols to be in place.

The taproom will have reduced occupancy, and seating will be first-come, first-serve. Since there will be limited capacity, the brewery will request patrons observe a 90-minute time limit each visit. More information is here.

Wineries that are part of the Bucks County Wine Trail will be expanding to limited indoor service starting Friday.

Crossing Vineyards will even have some entertainment that evening. It will launch its 17th Annual Wine and Music Series with a Friday performance from The Fabulous Greaseband at 7 p.m. There will be some changes and new precautions in place: wines will only be sold by the bottle, and all food items will be pre-packaged. More information is here.

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The green phase has many shaggy-haired residents breathing a sigh of relief. Salons and barbershops can also reopen, but customers can expect some new rules and safety precautions.

At Fuse Barbershop, owner Nick Tosti said they'll be operating by appoinment only.

"We are only allowing a maximum of three people on our waiting room," he said, noting it typically seats up to 10 customers. All clients and barbers will be wearing masks, and there will be temperatures checks at the door. Plus, all customers must sanitize their hands upon arrival.

He said the barber chairs are 6 feet apart, and the shop will be carefully sanitizing all tools and chairs after each service.

Bowen's Barber Shop is also preparing to reopen under the new circumstances. Owner Tracey Bowen Tobin said they've installed temporary partitions between chairs, and will require all customers to wait outside or in their cars until called inside for their service.

"We are only performing hair services at this time. No beard trims, straight razor face shaves, straight razor neck shaves are permitted," Bowen Tobin said, adding all customers must wear masks and sanitize hands upon arrival.

She said the shop will be open seven days a week, with late hours to accommodate the influx of customers.

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The green phase will give local children something to smile about, as well.

Kids Castle in nearby Doylestown will reopen Friday. The popular playground has been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While theaters can reopen, the Newtown Theatre has not yet set a public reopening date. All June events have been postponed or canceled, "and we're continuing to reevaluate future events," the State Street theater announced via Facebook.

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Additionally, gyms are permitted to reopen in the green phase.

The Newtown Athletic Club made the decision to stray from the state's order and opened its facility on June 15. Its Escape resort and pool reopened earlier this month with new rules in place.

For one, there is no towel service at the pool, so NAC members will need to bring their own towels. Lounge chairs are provided, but members can also bring their own. Masks are optional but not permitted in the pool.

The use of pool tubes is suspended, but the body slide and lazy river will be open. The hot tub is temporarily closed. The splash pad will be closed, and no puddle jumpers will be provided.

In Wrightstown, Transcend Fitness also opened early. The club, located in Wrightstown Township in the Carousel Village shopping area, reopened in May.

The owners said last month the continued closure was putting their own family in financial jeopardy. There are some rules in place there, as well, including social distancing and reduced capacity.

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Over at nearby Peddler's Village, which has put additional tents up to accommodate for outdoor dining demands, four restaurants will reopening indoor dining at half-capacity.

The Buttonwood Grill, Earl’s New American, Hart’s Tavern, and the Cock ‘n Bull will reopen "with appropriate distancing between tables and customers," said Christine Hensel Triantos, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Peddler's Village.

The expanded outdoor dining options will continue to be available as well.

While the shopping village is known for its outdoor festivals, those will continue look different this summer despite moving to the green phase.

Instead of a Bluegrass and Blueberries Festival in July, Peddler's Village will be hosting Blueberry Month. Restaurants will offer blueberry-themed food and beverages, and live musicians will perform on select weekends.

Also, during the weekend of July 4 and July 5, a "Red, White, and Blue in the Village" event is planned. The celebration will include live music by Galena Brass and additional menu items at the outdoor Water Wheel Food Tent.

"As always, we will have safety measures in place and ask that our guests respect social distancing norms whenever they visit the Village," Hensel Triantos said.

Finding Our Way Forward: See more stories about Pennsylvania's coronavirus recovery

This article originally appeared on the Newtown Patch