Name: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf: full reopening could happen 2 weeks after 65-70% of population vaccinated, could be sooner if people wear mask, socially distance
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Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf: full reopening could happen 2 weeks after 65-70% of population vaccinated, could be sooner if people wear mask, socially distance

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AdvertisementBy The Morning CallApr 21, 2021 at 7:41 pmHARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf told reporters Wednesday the “general idea” on when a full reopening of businesses in the state could happen is two weeks after 65-70% of the state’s population is vaccinated for COVID-19, allowing that extra time for “herd immunity.”Wolf made the comment during a news conference at a vaccine site in Bradford County. About 26.5% of the state population already has received two doses.AdvertisementAsked by a reporter if he had a metric to gauge when a 100% reopening could occur, Wolf said he has no single metric or statistic in mind. He also said the federal government has no fixed target.“I think the general idea is that somewhere around 65-70% of the population getting both doses, two weeks after that you have herd immunity,” Wolf said. “But to the extent we have people willing to wear masks, practicing social distancing and doing the things that can offset the disease, we can actually go faster on that.”AdvertisementUnder mitigation measures issued by the Wolf administration that remain in place, maximum occupancy is 25% of capacity for indoor gatherings and 50% for outdoor events, regardless of venue size and only if attendees and workers can stay 6 feet apart.All in-person businesses are allowed to operate at 75% occupancy, with exceptions, but they are “strongly encouraged” to conduct operations remotely, if possible.On Wednesday, Wolf also cautioned that “mutations could actually come along that could defeat the vaccine” but so far none has been seen.John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, said any attempt to connect a full reopening to vaccination percentages is “problematic.”The association said an April survey of restaurants found 84% had sales volume for March that was lower than what it would have been without COVID-19. In addition, 93% said staffing is lower than it would be without the virus.Concerning the 65-70% vaccinated figure mentioned by Wolf, Longstreet said, “A lot of people don’t think we are going to get to that.”Longstreet said metrics did not work well for the administration as the virus was increasing, and they should not be used now.“If he is signaling it is about time to get back to normal, he is right,” Longstreet said.AdvertisementDavid N. Taylor, president &amp; CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, said Wolf has not worked with business community stakeholders in the pandemic, but Taylor hopes the governor will change his approach.Any statements about vaccinated population percentages, Taylor said, are arbitrary.“There is no science to back it up,” he said.Gene Barr, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, said Wolf’s assessment might not be far off the mark.But, Barr said, any full-reopening assessment should go beyond vaccinated-persons percentages and include an assumption that some percentage of the population is somewhat immune because they have already had the virus.He could not say what that percentage should be.Advertisement”Because of the number of people who have had it, I don’t believe we can rely solely on vaccinations,” Barr said.Republicans in Harrisburg repeatedly accused Wolf, a Democrat, of acting alone during the pandemic until early February. Then, Wolf announced a bipartisan task force to tackle vaccine rollout issues.Since then, the state’s virus rollout performance has improved in comparison to other states. On Feb. 22, Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with 18,419 doses administered per 100,000 population and on Wednesday it ranked 19th with 67,887.Though numbers of new daily cases have begun trending downward this week, Pennsylvania remains a hot spot for the virus. Data posted Sunday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control &amp; Prevention shows that Pennsylvania was third in the nation for population-adjusted cases over the last seven days.The extent of Wolf’s future management of the situation could be affected by voting on two May 18 primary election ballot questions that seek to limit the governor’s disaster-declaring powers. Wolf has had a disaster declaration in place for COVID-19 since March 6, 2020.Republicans in Harrisburg in recent weeks have increased their focus on the ballot questions.AdvertisementWolf on Wednesday continued to urge people to get vaccinated. He said each person who gets the shots makes things safer for everyone.“All of us get a little bit closer to that normal that we want to get back to,” Wolf said.Indications abound that a significant percentage of residents either may not or will not get the vaccine.A Muhlenberg College Public Health Program poll found that as of late March, about 3 in 10 Pennsylvania adults who were not immunized indicated they did not plan to get vaccinated. Recent data from the Health Department showed only 53% of staff in skilled nursing facilities sought the vaccine even after months of availability.Wolf said he believes only a small group of people have a “no way” position. Many more, he said, are hesitant and are “just sort of sitting on the fence.”The expansion of the state network of vaccine providers to include more pediatricians and family physicians is likely to increase trust for many who are undecided, Wolf said.AdvertisementMorning Call Capitol correspondent Ford Turner can be reached at . Advertisement

AdvertisementBy The Morning CallApr 21, 2021 at 7:41 pmHARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf told reporters Wednesday the “general idea” on when a full reopening of businesses in the state could happen is two weeks after 65-70% of the state’s population is vaccinated for COVID-19, allowing that extra time for “herd immunity.”Wolf made the comment during a news conference at a vaccine site in Bradford County. About 26.5% of the state population already has received two doses.AdvertisementAsked by a reporter if he had a metric to gauge when a 100% reopening could occur, Wolf said he has no single metric...

Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf: full reopening could happen 2 weeks after 65-70% of population vaccinated, could be sooner if people wear mask, socially distance

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