Officials

deserve.”

Arkoosh, saying she was “putting on my doctor hat,” responded she was concerned that Gale attended the event even knowing that he had direct contact with Lawrence, who last week tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in selfisolation for 14 days.

“Commissioner Gale has publicly stated that he refuses to be tested and I have no evidence that he has been tested. And during the event that he just described, Commissioner Gale…did not have a mask on. He was personally handing them flags with no gloves on and closer than six-feet to them in order to hand them those flags,” Arkoosh responded during the virtual news briefing.

“This is not a comment about veterans. This is not a comment about lack of respect for veterans in any way shape or form. But Commissioner Gale should still be in quarantine. Having not been tested, he should be in quarantine for 14 days and I just want to urge others not to copy this type of behavior,” added Arkoosh, who has been quarantining at home since Lawrence announced he tested positive.

“I would urge everyone to please be responsible, to please look out for all the people in our community. Any one of us could be positive, not have symptoms and be contagious. When you are out in public wear a mask and please follow all the social distancing guidance,” Arkoosh continued.

Gale shot back that he will not “be bullied” for honoring fallen veterans and he called Arkoosh’s statement “ridiculous.”

“You don’t need a Hazmat suit, gloves and a mask to put American flags outdoors at a cemetery,” Gale said. “I was there to honor the dead and their families, not to stage a publicity stunt to show how politically correct I am. I’ve been very clear that people should use their own judgment in wearing masks. I’m not going to tell people when to do it or when not to do it.

“I was in the fresh open air and sun of a cemetery and a mask was not necessary in my opinion. It’s completely different than being in a closed capacity such as a SEPTA bus or something similar to that. The people who really need personal protective equipment are the health care workers and the long-term care facility employees,” Gale added.

Gale said he was in contact with Lawrence two weeks ago and added he’s not aware of anyone else testing positive as a result of having had contact with Lawrence.

“That was an uncalled for cheap shot and it’s an attempt to scare the residents of Montgomery County. That was uncalled for to lecture me and lecture the residents of Montgomery County and try to scare them. I know the residents of Montgomery County have had enough of all this nonsense,” said Gale, ending the news briefing.

Meanwhile, during the briefing, officials reported 55 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the county’s death toll to 529 since March 7, when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. The latest reported deaths included 32 individuals who died in April and 23 who died in May. The individuals ranged in age from 48 to 96.