The wheels seem to be coming off the quarantine in PA

[DeminPennswoods]

17. Here is the situation

On May 1st, Wolf allowed all construction to resume and all contractors to re-open. Hospitals were also allowed to resume elective and postponed surgeries.

He then announced criteria for regions (SW, SE, NW, NE, etc) that would qualify them to move to the 1st stage of re-opening starting on May 8th. The criteria included less than 50 new cases/100k of population and for hospitals to have the capacity to handle a surge in infections. Unsurprisingly, the first regions to move from "red" to "yellow" were the NW and north central ones. Outside of Erie county, most of the region is lightly populated and has had few cases of cv19 and related deaths.

SW Pa, including Allegheny county (Pittsburgh), counties were disappointed as they had met the criteria outlined. This past Friday, Wolf announced the SW region, except Beaver county, could move from "red" to "yellow". The reason Beaver county was not allowed to re-open is because there is a huge outbreak of cv19 at the largest nursing home in the state. It accounts for nearly 3 in 4 cases of cv19 and 90% of the deaths in the county. Suffice it to say, there has been plenty of finger-pointing about why infections at this facility got so out of hand. Despite the dire predictions of staff spreading the virus when they went home, that has not really happened. Beaver county would like to have the outbreak at the nursing home not be counted in the criteria stats, but the DoH/Gov have refused. The county commissioners felt county residents had done as Wolf has asked and meet his criteria for re-opening if the nursing home cases/deaths are excluded. I'm sure they are also concerned that residents will travel to the surrounding counties to shop and to Ohio, which we border, to shop, dine and get haircuts. That is the logic behind the commissioners deciding to defy Wolf and re-open this coming Friday.

Sullivan county has also decided to defy Wolf and move itself to "yellow" from "red" as they also meet Wolf's original criteria.

Unfortunately, Wolf has sort of moved the goal posts by including unknown "subjective" criteria in his decision-making process. That makes the counties feel like they don't know exactly what they have to do to start re-opening. The decision-making seems capricious.

I should note that NO county is planning to just open up everything. They are complying with the "yellow" criteria (retail open and gatherings up to 25, but no gyms/haircuts/bars/restaurants/theatres/takeout, delivery only).

I believe the only reason some counties are deciding to defy "red" designation is solely an effort to save local small businesses which are the ones that have been the ones hurt most by the shut down. That's what it is here in Beaver county, of which I am a resident.