Wolf: Trump rallies flout Pa. virus rules

HARRISBURG — A day before a rally in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday accused President Donald Trump of blatantly disregarding social distancing and mask- wearing requirements during his frequent campaign rallies in the battleground state, calling it dangerous and disappointing.

Mr. Wolf, a Democrat, criticized Mr. Trump in a strongly worded statement and asked the Republican president to ensure Saturday’s rally abides by Pennsylvania guidance designed to stem the spread of COVID- 19.

While Mr. Wolf’s mask order still stands, a federal judge — a Trump appointee — last week ruled that his pandemic restrictions, including size

limits on gatherings of people, are unconstitutional. Those limitations had been 250 people outdoors and 25 people indoors.

Mr. Wolf is appealing it, and the state attorney general’s office filed paperwork Friday with the 3rd U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia asking it to put the district judge’s ruling on hold.

In the 42- page filing, state lawyers wrote that medical researchers have determined that events where large numbers of people gather — dubbed “superspreader events” — are driving the spread of the virus and that allowing the judge’s ruling to stand

“will have grave consequences.”

“Eliminating the Commonwealth’s ability to limit large gatherings will inescapably increase the p r e v a l e n c e o f s u p e r - spreader events, leading to a larger number of people dying from this disease than otherwise would occur,” state lawyers wrote. “As far as our medical science has come, death remains irrevocable.”

Two of the president’s rallies this month in Pennsylvania violated the state’s public health guidance, Mr. Wolf said in his statement. One was before the judge’s ruling, and one that took place at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday came after it.