3 Former Pa. Governors Voice Support For Gov. Tom Wolf's Coronavirus Response
HARRISBURG, Pa (KDKA) - Three former Pennsylvania governors are voicing support for Gov. Tom Wolf's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wolf administration released statements from former Republican governors Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge as well as Democrat Ed Rendell praising Gov. Wolf.
Schweiker called Gov. Wolf's most recent order -- limiting indoor dining to 25 percent and putting restrictions on large gatherings -- "part of a strategy to help us avoid a second public health and economic crisis later in the year."
Rendell also said this order is "the right thing to do." He encouraged Pennsylvanians to wear a mask and social distance.
Ridge urged Pennsylvanians to listen to the Wolf administration's mandatory mask order.
"Like all Pennsylvanians, Gov. Wolf and Secretary Levine are hoping to avoid the COVID-19 spikes impacting other states so that we can get our economy back up and running as soon as possible. Wearing a mask is a simple, selfless act all of us should support," Ridge said in a press release from the governor's office.
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While these three former governors are praising the Wolf administrations order, it's facing criticism from other politicians as well as bars and restaurants who say they couldn't survive at 50 percent capacity, let alone 25 percent.
Butler County state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe is even demanding Gov. Wolf resign or face impeachment.
He calls the governor's latest orders "authoritarian dictates" and asked Gov. Wolf to "make the honorable choice to step down."
Pennsylvania lawmakers and Gov. Wolf recently clashed before the state's high court ruling against an effort by Republican lawmakers to end his shutdown orders.
A poll out on Wednesday from Monmouth University asked voters in Pennsylvania how Gov. Wolf is handling the coronavirus. Sixty-seven percent say he's doing a good job, while 29 percent say he's doing a bad job.
