Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine warned that the state’s health care systems may soon be overwhelmed if residents don’t make every effort to follow mitigation guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19.“Right now, we all need to take a hard look at our choices and our actions,” Wolf said during a Monday afternoon news conference.The governor said the state’s situation has become more dire over the past two weeks.“If we don’t slow the spread of this dangerous virus now, the reality is that COVID-19 will overwhelm our hospitals and our health care workers. That’s dangerous for everyone who needs medical care in a hospital for any reason, because it stretches resources and staff to the breaking point,” he said.Maureen Casey, a registered nurse at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, joined the briefing to describe the desperation and exhaustion that health care workers are experiencing.She also had one request.“Please wear a mask. It’s a simple thing, but it gets the job done,” she said.Additional mitigation efforts possibleThe governor said officials had hoped that updated mitigation efforts announced two weeks ago would help slow the transmission of the virus, but cases are still surging.The health department said the number of COVID-19 cases over the course of the pandemic has topped 400,000. That total was at 200,000 just six weeks ago. Wolf said officials continue to look at the numbers, and “if we have to do more, we will.”He said more recommendations may come “very shortly” but doesn’t anticipate a return to the red-yellow-green phases implemented at the start of the pandemic. He described that system as a “blunt instrument” that is no longer needed.With a vaccine on the way and more known about the virus, he said, mitigation efforts can be much more focused.But Pennsylvanians still need to work together, he said.“The municipalities, state, counties, whatever any of us do, it still comes back down to each and every one of the 13 million Pennsylvanians taking this seriously and taking every measure they can, every step they can, to keep us all safe,” he said.
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine warned that the state’s health care systems may soon be overwhelmed if residents don’t make every effort to follow mitigation guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Right now, we all need to take a hard look at our choices and our actions,” Wolf said during a Monday afternoon news conference.
The governor said the state’s situation has become more dire over the past two weeks.
“If we don’t slow the spread of this dangerous virus now, the reality is that COVID-19 will overwhelm our hospitals and our health care workers. That’s dangerous for everyone who needs medical care in a hospital for any reason, because it stretches resources and staff to the breaking point,” he said.
Maureen Casey, a registered nurse at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, joined the briefing to describe the desperation and exhaustion that health care workers are experiencing.
She also had one request.
“Please wear a mask. It’s a simple thing, but it gets the job done,” she said.
Additional mitigation efforts possible
The governor said officials had hoped that updated mitigation efforts announced two weeks ago would help slow the transmission of the virus, but cases are still surging.
The health department said the number of COVID-19 cases over the course of the pandemic has topped 400,000. That total was at 200,000 just six weeks ago.
Wolf said officials continue to look at the numbers, and “if we have to do more, we will.”
He said more recommendations may come “very shortly” but doesn’t anticipate a return to the red-yellow-green phases implemented at the start of the pandemic. He described that system as a “blunt instrument” that is no longer needed.
With a vaccine on the way and more known about the virus, he said, mitigation efforts can be much more focused.
But Pennsylvanians still need to work together, he said.
“The municipalities, state, counties, whatever any of us do, it still comes back down to each and every one of the 13 million Pennsylvanians taking this seriously and taking every measure they can, every step they can, to keep us all safe,” he said.