Photo provided by Gov. Wolf
HARRISBURG – Governor Tom Wolf is working with governors from other states to help determine when will be the right time to reopen businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Wolf gave a weekly briefing Tuesday and said it’s important to consider all factors before making the decision.
Wolf said, “What we are trying to do is not create a one-size-fits-all plan here. We are trying to recognize that as we all develop our own plans, we need to be sensitive to the region that we are in and try to make sure that we have some consistency there.”
Wolf said they need to make sure they don’t reopen too soon during this crisis. “I think we are all trying to do the right thing and strike a balance between opening businesses at the right time, but avoiding opening them too soon. If we don’t do this right, the economy is going to be in even worse shape than it is now.”
Wolf explained why opening too soon could have a negative impact on the economy, “We could open businesses, but if employees don’t feel safe going to work, they’re not going to go. If customers don’t feel safe coming to buy something, they won’t buy anything. We might even have owners who don’t feel safe owning something.”
“All of us, whether Republican or Democrat, we can all wish the same thing, to have the economy get back to exactly where it was before this whole thing began, by the snap of a finger, but that’s just not going to happen.”
Wolf said they need to consider how getting back to work could impact the health care system or potentially cause more deaths by spreading the virus further.
