No time for politics
GOP lawmaker tested positive, but Dems weren’t told
Just when we thought partisanship couldn’t get much more toxic in Harrisburg, a report came out that a Republican lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19 and some fellow GOP legislators and staff members were advised to self-quarantine — but that information never made its way to Democratic colleagues.
This goes beyond the typical political gamesmanship in the Legislature. This speaks to the health and safety of all lawmakers, regardless of party affiliation, and it’s appalling to think that such vital information may have been deliberately withheld.
State Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin, confirmed on May 27 that he tested positive for the coronavirus on May 20 and began self-isolation. He said he informed House officials and they worked to identify anyone with whom he may have come into contact. His last day in the Capitol was May 14.
What has many House Democrats concerned and angry is that Mr. Lewis’ positive COVID-19 result was not revealed to them for more than a week, even though Republican colleagues who may have been in contact were made aware. Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, confirmed he was contacted and asked to self-quarantine, which he began on May 21. Several Democrats said two other Republicans were also told to stay home for 14 days.
When word of self-isolation by some members started circulating around the Capitol on Wednesday, what was expected to be a very busy session came to a halt for several hours as lawmakers sought more information.
Mr. Lewis defended his decision to not publicly reveal his positive test result until after he had recovered by saying it was “out of respect for my family, and those who I may have exposed.” The logic on that is hard to figure because if Mr. Lewis was truly concerned for those he may have exposed, he would have been open about the test results from the start.
More troubling is the fact that Mr. Lewis serves on the State Government Committee, which has been one of the most active committees since the pandemic shut down most of the state in mid-March. Mr. Diamond, a vocal opponent of many of Gov. Tom Wolf’s emergency orders, also serves on the committee and routinely attends without wearing a mask, a recommendation he opposes.
All told, the House has had six days of voting sessions and 15 committee meetings in the past two weeks, a period during which Mr. Lewis and others could have spread the coronavirus. Yet Democratic leaders said they were kept in the dark.
A Republican spokesperson maintains that all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health guidelines were followed in notifying people, but this speaks to a matter of basic respect for colleagues and simple human decency. A positive test result for any lawmaker should bring about immediate notification of all House members.
Democrats want and deserve some answers on how this was handled. Above all, it should be a wakeup call that there is no place for petty, and mean, politics when dealing with a potentially deadly virus.