Centre County’s representatives, opponents share views on Pennsylvania’s response to COVID-19
As Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has worked to balance community health and safety along with economic needs in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has received both praise and criticism.
While the state has largely been able to keep its virus case load under control and hospitals from being overwhelmed, Gov. Tom Wolf’s school closures in March, strict business restrictions and, most recently, the recommendation to delay high school and youth sports through Jan. 1 have drawn ire from state Republicans, and others.
With no in-person classes at Penn State this past spring and summer, and staple events such as Arts Fest and Grange Fair canceled, Centre County has seen a 92% decrease in tourism revenue and witnessed increased levels of unemployment and community need. Local, state and national leaders have pushed back against Wolf’s orders, saying that financial challenges will only worsen as restrictions cause irreparable harm to workers and families.
After Wolf announced new restrictions last month, U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, (R-Kreamer) said they would result in the “permanent loss of family-owned businesses” and thousands of jobs.
“Gov. Wolf is punishing hardworking Pennsylvanians who have done everything right,” he said.
Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem published a post on Facebook, calling Wolf a “tyrant” who should be held accountable for his actions.
Responding to tension surrounding pandemic response and the reopening process, the Centre Daily Times reached out to five officials with offices in Centre County — and their opponents in the November general election. They were asked to reflect on and share their opinions about actions made by the state government, what — if anything — could have been improved when addressing the outbreak and about their thoughts about Pennsylvania schools and universities being able to reopen safely this fall.
Officials were contacted July 31 and had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to respond by email.
Democratic challengers — Robert Williams in the 15th Congressional District and Ian Kidd in the 81st Legislative District — and state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-McElhattan, did not respond to requests for comment.
15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard Township, has been vocal about frustration surrounding Pennsylvania’s reopening process, something he called an “arbitrary color coding system,” in May.
The congressman said Pennsylvania’s response to the pandemic has brought the economy to a “screeching halt,” adding that it has left entrepreneurs wondering how they will keep business doors open and families questioning how to put food on the table.
“Counties that had very few cases and those that were able to flatten the curve should have begun reopening faster,” Thompson said.
In order to reopen counties “safely and effectively,” Thompson said everyone must be given access to reliable, up-to-date information about guidelines, and personal protective equipment should be made readily available.
“And we must trust and empower local leaders to make decisions that are right for their communities, rather than issuing national or statewide edicts,” he added.
With more than 55 million United States students affected by school closures, Thompson said keeping educational institutions closed would be detrimental to “vulnerable students” who rely on counseling, therapy and food services.
While pivoting to a virtual classroom is particularly challenging for career and technical students, Thompson said he is hopeful schools can reopen “in some manner” to provide a “safe and enriching atmosphere.”
76TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Though Borowicz did not respond, she’s been among Republican lawmakers fighting Wolf’s mandates and voting to end the governor’s COVID-19 emergency declaration.
Democratic challenger Joe Waltz said Pennsylvania leaders took early steps to save lives and prevent “untold hardships” that would have led to higher infection rates as an early response to the pandemic.
“Pennsylvania was recognized by the CDC for its early efforts to mitigate the virus, but as counties have opened up, cases have begun to rise,” he said. “While I agree that special measures were in order, I think there should have been a greater effort to ensure our small businesses were not bearing the brunt of the burden while their large, chain competitors were free to remain open for business.”
This reopening process, he said, led efforts to be politicized and created a “resistance” to other mitigation measures that would allow communities to stay open.
Until there is a vaccine, Waltz said, it is critical that leaders and citizens do what they can to help protect each other by social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene.
“These simple things are the basic resources we have right now and can help save lives,” he said. “By doing our part, we are keeping our communities safer and our small businesses open.”
Worries about schools reopening this fall are valid, Waltz said, adding that high-density situations are the “worst thing” for a contagious virus. He said the country is “grappling” with what it means to keep schools and childcare facilities closed, especially for working parents with young children.
“However, I do have confidence in our education community that they will make it as safe as possible,” he said. “It will be important for schools to offer online learning options as well as additional space between students. Data suggests that if at least a majority of students and all staff wear masks, the risk is greatly reduced.”
77TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
With no “unified, concerted national effort” to combat the coronavirus outbreak, state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, said financial assistance provided by the federal government was a “smart move” to help support Americans and businesses.
“Obviously, this is still a work in progress, but I believe there was a sincere effort to help families through this pandemic,” he said.
Describing Pennsylvania as being at the “forefront of keeping people safe,” Conklin said there should have been better communication “from the top down” to better explain why decisions were made. Conklin said that in order to ensure a safe reopening process, businesses must understand the importance of masking, social distancing and why guidelines are put in place.
When it comes to reopening schools and educational decisions, Conklin said they should be made with a “regional approach,” because not all areas of the state are experiencing the same level of threat from the virus.
But Republican challenger Steve Yetsko said the United States has violated the rights of Americans in its response to COVID-19.
“In 2020, for the first time, healthy people were put out of work and under lockdown with no due process,” he said. “Assuming that everyone is sick as a reason to suspend basic civil rights feels like ‘guilty until proven innocent.’”
Yetsko said Wolf’s decision to declare a disaster emergency was “tyrannical,” as the declaration was intended for events like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and fires.
“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that he retains his tyrannical power until he decides to relinquish it,” he said.
When it comes to reopening, Yetsko said there is no “cookie cutter” answer that fits every community, but decisions on reopening should be made locally, including choices about schools.
“I am confident that local school boards can determine what is best for their individual school districts,” he said. “That’s why we elect local school boards. What works for Bald Eagle Area might not be right for State High. Likewise, I am confident that universities can find intelligent paths to safely reopen.”
81ST LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
State Rep. Rich Irvin, R-Spruce Creek, acknowledged that Pennsylvania has had areas dealing with community spread and needed to enact health restrictions, but a “one-size-fits-all” approach has “severely damaged” the state.
“The governor’s approach, designed to ensure shared pain, shows the numerous problems that centralized, non-representative government creates,” he said. “The governor’s arbitrary and unilateral decisions have resulted in an essential business waiver process that lacked transparency and failed, millions of individuals unnecessarily on unemployment, and our small-business community struggling for survival.”
State leaders, local businesses and communities need to work together in order to “survive and flourish,” Irvin said, adding that “common sense can go a long way in reopening.”
“Stay home if you’re sick and keep your kids out of school if they are sick,” he said. “If you are in the at-risk population, please take extra precautions.”
Irvin said he fully supports reopening local schools and universities this fall, as he feels an in-person education is best for most students.
“Precautions will need to be taken, and the state has left it up to each school district to make reopening decisions as it should,” he said. “Optimistically, I hope our schools remain safe from the virus, but none of us have a crystal ball.”
171ST LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Although he said he recognizes that difficult decisions needed to be made in a short time frame, House Majority Leader Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, said Pennsylvania’s reopening process has been “inconsistent and confusing.”
“Decisions about what businesses could operate, who was ‘essential’ and what counties would remain ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ were done so unilaterally and with no transparency and no input from the people’s representatives in the legislature,” he said.
The “most upsetting” response was what Benninghoff called Pennsylvania’s “neglect” of seniors.
“The focus should have immediately been on protecting them, the population we knew would be the hardest hit by this pandemic,” he said. “Instead, this administration required long-term care facilities and nursing homes to admit COVID-19 positive patients. As a result, 70% of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 deaths have been in these settings.”
The “best guide” to reopening in a safe manner is common sense, Benninghoff said, adding that Pennsylvania needed more in its response to the pandemic. He said small and medium-sized businesses that could operate safely should have been allowed to do so.
Benninghoff said Pennsylvania should be doing everything to ensure schools reopen and stay open this fall, adding that many have complained of a “lack of leadership” from state leaders when making decisions about education.
“Pennsylvanians deserve better,” he said. “Children should not be deprived of the choice of in-person classroom instruction and socialization and parents should not be forced to continue to make the devastating choice between earning a living and being full-time, in-home educators.”
Democratic challenger Peter Buck — a former Ferguson Township supervisor — described Pennsylvania’s response to the virus as “better than most,” but said House and Senate leaders should have worked with the governor, public health experts and business leaders early to establish a special task force responsible for designing better criteria for business waivers.
“Instead, the House and Senate leadership tried to set the governor’s orders on fire, throw it on his desk and then yell at him about setting a fire,” he said.
In order for an economy to thrive, it needs healthy people, Buck said — adding that citizens must follow masking guidelines and social distance.
“The businesses that are enforcing these guidelines are part of the solution, and so are the citizens doing their part,” he said. “I support municipalities drafting and passing restrictive ordinances because they have good reason to believe that super-spreader events could happen. Certainly, the return of students to colleges and universities in a few weeks give us pause.”
Whether schools and universities can reopen safely is contingent on responsible behavior and commitment to health measures, he said.
“Its culture, focus and the behavior of individuals within it and from its community will determine whether it stays open,” Buck said. “That answer may seem all over the place, but the issues are so complicated.”