HARRISBURG – Senator Judy Ward (R-30) issued the following statement today after Governor Wolf announced that only two local counties will be moved to the yellow phase of reopening on May 15:
“It is a step in the right direction that Blair and Fulton counties will move to the yellow phase soon, but the announcement comes too late for many employers who will be forced to close forever. Every day we delay in reopening is another day that we risk seeing small business owners and their hard-working employees losing everything they have worked so hard to build. These counties should have been included in the first round of reopenings. For too many of our local communities, today’s announcement is too late.
“The fact that Huntingdon, Franklin and Cumberland counties remain in the red phase is deeply frustrating and disheartening. We know that employers in these counties can be creative and conscientious enough to open with proper safety measures in place. The health of our communities and the health of our economy are NOT mutually exclusive.
“The coronavirus is serious, but it is not the only battle we are fighting right now. Governor Wolf’s decisions to shut down broad swaths of our economy has created chaos for the entire state, leading to increases in other dangerous threats like substance abuse, food insecurity, poverty, mental health issues and suicide. We cannot continue to focus only on one threat while ignoring all others. I again call on Governor Wolf to adopt a smarter strategy and allow businesses across the state to begin to open if they can do so safely within the guidelines identified by national health experts. Let’s help all of our communities get back on track instead of picking winners and losers by zip code.”
CONTACT: Cheryl Schriner (717) 787-5490