Wolf: ‘Vaccine passport’ not in the works
Leaves open possible private organization use; GOP still battling
MCKEESPORT — Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday said the state is not working on any sort of proof-of-vaccination documents known as “vaccine passports,” but he left open the possibility that private organizations, including ones that run sporting events, could require them.
Wolf made the comments in response to a reporter’s question during a news conference in Allegheny County in which he said the state’s flexible approach has helped Pennsylvania improve its rankings among states in rolling out COVID-19 vaccine.
Concerning vaccine passports, the Democratic governor said that if a sports venue were
considering such a requirement, “I am not sure why the government would weigh in either way in terms of mandating it or saying you can’t do it.”
In Harrisburg, three Republican state senators — Kristin Phillips-Hill of York County, Michele Brooks of Mercer County and Judy Ward of Blair County — plan to file a bill that would prohibit the state from making requirements for vaccine passports.
On Wednesday, Ward said the memo they issued in advance of filing the bill had 11 other Republican co-sponsors. She said “people have been thrilled” about pushback against vaccine passports.
The bill, she said, would not prevent a private organization from issuing its own vaccine passport requirement.
“What a private company decides to do is their business,” Ward said.
However, it would prevent Wolf or the state Health Department from issuing such a requirement, she said. For example, the department would not be able to require that restaurants demand proof of vaccination from customers, Ward said.
Phillips-Hill said the group would discuss including a prohibition on the use of vaccine passports by private entities that receive public money.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, used his executive power Tuesday to ban state government and some private entities from requiring vaccine passports for accessing services.
Phillips-Hill said there already are “certain requirements we put on entities that take taxpayer dollars.”
In their memo, the three senators wrote, “Those who cannot get the vaccine due to medical reasons, arbitrary vaccine deployment phases created by the governor, or personal choice should not be discriminated against by their own government” by the allowing of vaccine passports.
Wolf ’s position
Asked on Wednesday for his position on vaccine passports, Wolf said he was not sure “what the deal is” with them.
“If a cruise line wants to make sure that everybody is safe on a cruise ship, and they say you have to have some proof that you have a vaccine, I don’t know what you call that,” he said. “If a sporting event wants to say we want to keep our spectators safe, I am not sure why the government would weigh in either way in terms of mandating it or saying you can’t do it. So I guess I am just not sure.”
“The state is not considering anything like that at this point,” he added.
The “proof of vaccination” concept is becoming a national tug-of-war involving public health campaign messaging, personal freedom and private choices.
In New York, at least one vaccine passport — backed by a limited government partnership with a private company — is in use.
According to Abbott’s order in Texas, state agencies and political subdivisions, and public and private organizations that receive public funding cannot require people to prove that they have been inoculated against the coronavirus.
A bill introduced in the Arkansas Legislature last week would prevent government officials from requiring vaccine passports for any reason, and would ban their use as a condition of “entry, travel, education, employment or services.”
Vaccine progress
Wolf predicted the second week in May would be the point when all Pennsylvanians who want a COVID-19 vaccine will have received at least one shot.
His appearance was at a Baptist church in a McKeesport neighborhood that a lawmaker described as challenged by poverty, addiction and homelessness. The church is designated as a vaccination clinic, and Wolf said the kind of flexibility shown by picking that location is a key reason the state’s vaccine rollout has improved.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed Pennsylvania ranked 22nd among all states Wednesday with 53,137 vaccine shots administered per 100,000 people. In early February, Pennsylvania ranked 34th among states in that same data.
Wolf cited national media reports that gave Pennsylvania even higher rankings.
“We now regularly rank in the top 15 of states for first-dose vaccinations,” Wolf said.
Wolf said putting a clinic at Bethlehem Baptist Church — it will have capacity to vaccinate 100-200 people a day — is an illustration of how the state had to “break down barriers” to get vaccine to people who have difficulty accessing it or are skeptical about its benefits.
He also addressed the latest upsurge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. He called it “a race between vaccine and the upsurge” and added, “I think the vaccine is winning.”
Other Capitol developments
State officials gave details on guidance issued this week on school operations during COVID-19.
The state guidance, issued in response to new guidelines from the CDC, consists of tiered recommendations based in part on COVID-19 transmission in the school’s home county and other virus statistics. Based on that data, the guidance recommends full in-person learning, full remote learning or a combination of the two.
Acting Education Secretary Noe Ortega said, “While these recommendations are not mandates, mitigation strategies remain essential to opening safe, in-person learning environments.”