More Pennsylvania counties to move into COVID-19 yellow zone
Gov. Tom Wolf said he’s prepared to lift COVID-19 mitigation efforts in more counties, easing his stay-home order and allowing many nonessential businesses to reopen possibly next week.
Wolf said he will make the decision Friday morning to expand his yellow zones from beyond the 37 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Erie and north-central regions of the state.
“Pennsylvania has done pretty well, Wolf said during a Thursday afternoon teleconference with members of the media.
“In the end we have to defeat this virus and not each other,” he said.
Pennsylvania added 44 new deaths from the virus since Wednesday, taking the statewide total to 4,218, a number that increased through reconciled data, the state said. The state also added 938 cases of the virus, taking the statewide total to 59,636.
There were no new COVID-19 deaths reported Thursday in Allegheny County, the county’s health department said.
Washington County reported two additional cases of the novel coronavirus, taking its total to 129, and no deaths beyond the four that have already been reported, the state health department said.
Greene County’s numbers remained again at 27 cases and 1 death attributed to COVID-19 since the case count began March 6.
In an earlier briefing Thursday, state health Secretary Rachel Levine reminded parents to take their children to their pediatricians for the normal vaccinations they need. She said those physicians have been setting up safe areas to see children who are not sick.
Wolf said Pennsylvania has an advantage over the virus because of its quality hospitals and colleges and many employers that allow employees to work remotely.
He said he’s concerned the virus will flare up again if people ignore it by reopening businesses in defiance of his orders.
“That’s going to be a problem,” Wolf said.
He said the state can’t afford to politicize COVID-19, that “pointing fingers at something other than the virus is playing right into its hands.”
“Squabbling is not going to get us to a safe place,” he said.