Gov. Wolf keeps moving goal posts to reopen Pa.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest “red-yellow-green” phased opening for PA businesses is woefully inadequate to address both the health concerns and the economic concerns of the Commonwealth.

The original objective for the quarantine was to “flatten the curve” of cases that would require medical intervention, hospitalization, and ventilators, based on initial estimates provided by the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington among other sources.

Not only were the initial models flawed, and the infection rate numbers revised downward, what we have actually experienced is that a small percentage of infected individuals seek medical attention, and far fewer require ventilators. While testing continues, those with positive test results have varying symptoms, with most people having no symptoms that require professional medical intervention.

The quarantine has worked, hospitals are not overwhelmed, and the incidence of new cases are stabilizing and declining. Mission

accomplished.

This week, Gov. Wolf, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a statement regarding guidelines for opening businesses in Pennsylvania.

These phased, red-yellow-green opening guidelines were initially stated by the Governor at 50 cases per 100,000 residents per county or less, per day, for 14 straight days of testing. However, this was suddenly changed when Gov. Wolf realized that under this standard more than half the counties in Pennsylvania would be ready to begin to loosen his “stay at home” orders. He then quickly changed the guidelines to 50 cases per county or less per day for 14 straight days of testing or when he feels the time is right, presumably to maintain his maximum centralized control.

The residents of Pennsylvania are powerless to prevent Gov. Wolf from sequestering us in our homes for several more months, when there is no pandemic emergency that supports his continued “stay at home” order.

Montgomery County may be quarantined with “stayat-home” orders until July, based on the revised standard, and when the governor may or may not feel the time is right to open Montgomery County. Our residents will not be able to seek necessary, non-emergency dental care, orthodontist care, eye care, outpatient medical procedures and physical therapy until after Independence Day.

Our state representatives have been unable to successfully overturn modifications to Wolf’s draconian orders related to any common-sense opening of the state that the legislature has put forth. Elected officials are mostly aligned along party lines, and without a bipartisan effort, we will be trapped in a dysfunctional commonwealth smothered under emergency “stay at home” orders for several more months.

It is time to contact your state representatives and demand that they put a limit on Gov. Wolf’s “emergency” powers, and begin to open our communities.

Renee Chesler is a former township supervisor in Limerick Township.