Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Gov. Tom Wolf Says Testing Is At The Core Of The State's Reopening
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Governor Tom Wolf says Pennsylvania is working on a testing strategy for COVID-19 and not waiting on help from anywhere else. He says testing and hospital capacity are the keys to getting the state reopened.
As crews prepare the region's golf courses, marinas and private campgrounds to reopen on Friday, the governor says those moves are consistent with the stay-at-home order. The order, he points out, called for people to get out and exercise from the beginning.
"I think it's something that is in line with that idea that we want to stay physically safe but we want to make sure we are mentally safe," he says.
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So what's next? The governor seemed to signal today that places like dine-in restaurants, theaters, schools, and hair salons where social distancing is difficult may be further down the road.
"Things that have the most likelihood of contagion will be the last to open, the areas that are least susceptible to the disease will be the first to open," he said.
Under Gov. Wolf's plan, the yellow phase, which would lift the stay-at-home order, would keep recreational, health and wellness facilities and all entertainment businesses closed. His plan says this includes gyms, spas, casinos and theaters.
Wolf says reopening decisions will be made area by area predicated on an area's hospital capacity to handle Coronavirus cases.
"Until we have a vaccine or a cure -- and both of those things seem a long way off -- testing is what we need." The Governor says public confidence depends on it, "Testing is going to be at the heart of what we do and anybody does to make people feel comfortable and safe and confident they can go back to whatever they want to do."
Governor Wolf says the state is actively working on what benchmarks will be needed in testing for reopening and working with Pennsylvania suppliers to ramp up the materials needed for the test.
He also says areas won't be lumped together. For example, Venango and Somerset counties, where cases are low, won't be painted with the same brush as Allegheny County. Each area will get its own consideration as reopening decisions are made.
Gov. Wolf is expected to announce on Friday which regions and counties will reopen on May 8.
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