AP photo Twenty-one Pennsylvania State Senators have sent Gov. Tom Wolf a letter asking for the restrictions to be lifted on the Friday before Memorial Day rather than on the holiday itself.

One of Warren County’s state senators is among the lawmakers asking Gov. Tom Wolf to lift COVID-19 restrictions in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses, as well as indoor and outdoor event gathering limits, will go away on May 31, meaning concert halls, sports stadiums and wedding venues could soon be packed for the first time since early 2020. The state’s mask mandate will remain in place, but even that could be dropped — if enough people get vaccinated, Health Department officials said.

More than 50% of the state’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The Health Department said an order requiring people to wear masks in public will be lifted once 70% of Pennsylvanians aged 18 and older are fully vaccinated.

Twenty-one state Senators have sent Wolf a letter asking for the restrictions to be lifted on the Friday before Memorial Day rather than on the holiday itself.

“This approach would allow these businesses to have a full holiday weekend to begin to recoup the losses they suffered during COVID-19,” the letter states. “We are not aware of any scientific standard or evidence that suggests that moving this timeline up a few days would present any serious risk to the health and well-being of the people we represent. However, we know from speaking to employers in our districts that getting an entire holiday weekend of business could serve as a springboard into a successful summer of recovery.”

Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Erie/Crawford/Mercer/Warren, is among the senators who signed the letter.

Last week, Brooks also signed on to Senate Bill 618, which would ban the state, counties, municipalities or school districts from requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.

The senators’ bill notes that all of the vaccines being administered in the United States have been approved under Emergency Use Authorization. Under federal law, an individual must be given the option to accept or refuse administration of the vaccine.

While Wolf Administration officials have indicated they have no plans to require a vaccine passport at the state level, the lawmakers believe that should this bill become law, it will ease concerns from local residents who are skeptical of sweeping government mandates.

“Since the COVID-19 vaccine became available, I have worked hard to connect every resident who wants a vaccine with a trusted provider in our community,” Brooks said. “With that being said, I do not believe the state should be mandating the COVID-19 vaccination. It’s a personal decision.”