YELLOW FEVER
Guv loosens lockdown restrictons on all Pa. counties:
The end is near. On Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced he expects that all counties, including Delaware County, will move to the yellow pandemic phase as of June 5 with the potential to move into the green phase by the end of June.
“We know not only that we succeeded in slowing case growth, but that our actions, our collective decisions to stay at home and avoid social contact - we know that saved lives,” he said. “My stay-at-home order did exactly what it was intended to do: It saved lives and it brought us valuable time.”
The governor referred to a Drexel University study that concluded more than 7,000 lives were saved and more than 68,000 people were prevented from needing hospitalization in Philadelphia alone due to the 60 days of staying at home.
After shutting down most of the state to stop the spread of COVID-19, the governor established three phases to reopen. Red, where Delaware County and surrounding Philadelphia counties are, has the most restrictions including stay-at-home orders, restaurants and bars limited to carry-out or delivery and only life-sustaining businesses could be open.
Yellow allows in-person
businesses to operate following safety guidelines and stay-at-home orders are lifted. Gatherings in the yellow phase, however, are limited to 25 people. Retail stores can reopen but are encouraged to offer delivery and curbside pickup. Child care centers can open. Restaurants and bars are closed to in-person business
but takeout and delivery remain. Hair salons, barbers, gyms, fitness centers, tattoo shops, tanning and nail salons, spas, casinos, amateur and professional sports facilities and schools and playgrounds remain closed.
Only stores with external entrances inside indoor malls will be allowed to open in the yellow phase. Pharmacies and health care stores inside malls are also allowed to open.
The green phase is the most relaxed with mitigation lifted, but safety guidelines still in place.
“This is a sign that the efforts we have been making as a community to reduce
the spread of the COVID-19 virus have been working and have been recognized by the governor’s office and the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” Delaware County Council Chairman Brian Zidek said. “It’s been two months that our county has been under the governor’s stay-at-home order, which has been extremely difficult for all residents. Council has been advocating for guidelines, metrics and procedures that would help us to safely loosen the restrictions as soon as possible, and this announcement is a sign that we are moving in the right direction.”
When the governor began changing some counties from red to yellow phase a few weeks ago, much of the emphasis was on meeting a metric of no more than
50 cases a day per 100,000 residents for 14 consecutive days.
“As we increase testing ... the 50 per 100,000 rate is less critical now as a metric,” said state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, adding that other factors such as community impact analyses, contact tracing and testing and hospital capacity were also critical barometers.
The governor also said Pennsylvania is sustaining its downward trend of new cases even as businesses begin to reopen and activities are resumed.
“Over the past two weeks, we have seen sustained reductions in hospitalizations,” he said. “From May
8 to (May 21), the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized dropped by nearly
1,000 from 2,618 to 1,667 an the number of COVID patients on ventilators shrank by about a third from 505 to
347.”
In addition, he said, “Our new-case rate has been shrinking. It shrank by more than half from May 8 to May
15 and it declined by another third from May 15 to just (May 21).”
Simultaneously, the ability to test has expanded by
65 percent from May 8 with
7,888 tests taken daily to Friday with 13,085 being performed daily. The governor also noted that testing is being completed at more than
300 locations across the state in almost every county.
Levine added that of the
66,258 positive coronavirus cases identified in Pennsylvania, 57 percent had recovered from the virus.
“Our ability to identify and isolate cases of COVID-19 has increased and this will allow every Pennsylvanian in our commonwealth to resume a more normal life without constant fear of contracting COVID-19,” Wolf said.
County officials asked residents to adhere to the precautions to prevent a resurgence.
“As Delaware County moves into the yellow phase, residents must remain vigilant to ensure we don’t trigger further outbreaks,” Zidek said. “A future spike in positive cases could set counties back to a red phase.”
County Councilman Kevin Madden warned about the risks of becoming too lax with the need to social distance and wear a mask.
“Some, in their eagerness to return to normalcy, may begin to disregard the guidance,” he said. “Many may want to gather with their friends and family at barbeques and pools this Memorial
Day weekend. Now is not the time to let our guards down. We are urging residents to stay the course so we can reach and stay in the yellow phase and then reach the green phase as quickly as possible.”
In conjunction with the anticipated phase move, county officials are creating a ReOpen Delco Task Force, made up of business leaders and community members, to help county businesses and organizations transition through the final phases. More information on the task force will be announced subsequently.
Earlier in the week, several state representatives, including state Reps. Stephen Barrar, R-160 of Upper Chichester, and Chris Quinn, R-168 of Middletown, wrote a letter to Wolf asked for him to allow for retail operators to offer curbside pickup and for reopening if county health departments deemed it safe.
“It is simply unfair that big box retailers and the state-run wine and spirits stores are allowed to offer curbside pickup and continue to turn a profit when small mom-and-pop stores on the verge of never opening their doors again,” they wrote on Tuesday. “These businesses deserve the same opportunity as their competitors. We need to stop choosing winners and losers and allow those who can operate safely within state and federal guidelines to do so.”
They noted that curbside pickup was safer and “will begin to allow these retailers to move their products, earn money and perhaps hire back some of their employees. It is a win-win for everyone.”
They also noted the decline in COVID-19 case counts throughout the region and state.
“We need to start refocusing our attention on the economic crisis we are all now facing and the long-term consequences that could come if we do not act,” they wrote.
As of Thursday, the Chester County Health Department reported three new Delco cases from the previous day, stating Delaware County’s new total as 5,864. On Wednesday, it showed 13 new cases. Chester County has established a chart showing the movement to yellow phase as seen here: https://chesco. maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/
c37ab7ba621842a7b4d465c4c403a3f2.
The Chester County Health Department has been serving the coronavirus needs of Delaware County residents through an intergovernmental agreement during the health crisis.
On March 14, the governor included Delaware County in social distancing mitigation efforts, having ordered the first efforts in the state in Montgomery County the day earlier. Two days later, schools shut down across the state and all non-life-sustaining businesses were closed as of 8 p.m. March 19.
By March 23, the governor had placed stay-athome orders for Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Philadelphia, Allegheny and Monroe counties. On April 1, that was expanded to the entire state. Wolf closed schools for the remainder of the school year on April 9.
On Thursday, between 75 to 100 people rallied at the Delaware County Courthouse as they called on the governor to allow them to reopen their businesses. Counter protests, endorsing extending the mitigation efforts, were also present. Another “Reopen PA” rally is scheduled for
Thursday, May 28 at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park.
Throughout the week, some small businesses like Giovanni’s Barber Shop in Media and Wicked Cutz in Havertown began opening their doors to customers.
In closing his Friday’s announcement, Wolf paused to honor those whose lives have been lost and in gratitude for the efforts given during the crisis.
“I want to thank Pennsylvanians who have made tremendous sacrifices since this virus emerged in Pennsylvania,” he said. “I want to remember and honor all of those whom we have lost and I want to give solace to their families and their loved ones. The last few months have been trying and they have tested each of us and I want to thank and acknowledge all the people of our commonwealth who have been called upon to upend their lives to keep their neighbors, their friends and their family safe.”
“This is a sign that the efforts we have been making as a community to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus have been working and have been recognized by the governor’s office and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.”
— Delaware County Council Chairman Brian Zidek