With the increase in COVID-19 infections, the Pennsylvania health secretary warned Monday that making the right “choice” in face masks and social distancing is critical to preventing a recurrence of the situation that caused major restrictions during the spring.
“If you feel uncomfortable with how close people are, for example, in a restaurant where you could be having dinner, then choose to leave,” said Dr. Rachel Levine. “If you are in a store where people do not follow the mandatory mask order, choose to leave. And if you meet people who might be talking about not changing their lifestyle or not wearing masks, then decide not to go with those people. “
Levine said, “As much as our efforts focus on laws, mandates, and requirements, they will focus primarily on their elections.”
As of Monday, Pennsylvania over the past week averaged 776 new cases per day, compared to 543 per day two weeks earlier. The state recorded more than 1,000 new cases on Friday, breaking the 1,000 mark for the first time since May 10.
Levine warned Monday that Pennsylvania’s first sudden spike is repeated, when infections among adults under the age of 50 spread to people over the age of 65, which have accounted for the vast majority of the nearly 7,000 COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania.
She said people over 65 now account for about half of cases, and people ages 19 to 49 account for 45 percent of total cases.
Still, Levine said Monday that she and Gov. Tom Wolf have no plans to impose state restrictions in response to the increase.
Rather, he emphasized that local officials in places like Allegheny County, which has restricted indoor food and drinking on the spot, “have taken precise and specific action” that “is working.”
“We are carefully monitoring data from across the state to ensure we stay on the right track,” Levine said.
In rural Perry County, County Commissioner Gary Eby said Monday that he has been seeing more people without facial masks in places like stores.
Eby, a Republican, said he is concerned that it is a sign that people feel the threat is gone and are disappointing their guards.
“The most important thing is not to be complacent,” he said.
Eby said he and his fellow commissioners remain concerned about an increase in the county and are especially concerned that COVID-19 infections may interfere with the reopening of schools.
Another concern, he said, implies the potential for spread among Perry’s approximately 3,000 Amish and Mennonite residents.
They generally visit or have visits to places like Lancaster that have higher concentrations of infections, and Amish and Mennonites may be less inclined to wear face masks and practice social distancing, Eby said.
He said commissioners have reached out to Amish and Mennonites, emphasizing that they are part of a larger community, and that everyone has a responsibility to protect the community.
Another concern, he said, is that county employees will go on vacation to the hardest hit areas, causing them to lose their job due to illness or have to be quarantined for two weeks.
“Everyone needs to be here. We have no fat to cut, “said Eby.
On Monday, cases continued to rise in the United States, and some states and cities added new restrictions or reversed aspects of the reopening.
California, for example, shut down indoor activity in places like restaurants, bars, and movie theaters. Oregon banned most indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and imposed an outdoor mask requirement similar to that of Pennsylvania. New York said it will begin tracking people from a list of affected states and require that they remain in quarantine for 14 days, with fines for people trying to circumvent the process.
Levine said Monday that states like Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and South Carolina did not see the kind of surges that Pennsylvania did during the spring. But now some of them are recording much higher case counts than Pennsylvania during their heyday, with their health care systems more stressed than in Pennsylvania.
She said Pennsylvania residents must remain vigilant to prevent the situation from becoming more serious.
“The most important thing for Pennsylvania residents is to know that to carry out their routines, we must make important decisions to reduce our risk,” he said. “We have to adapt our activities to protect ourselves against COVID-19 and make the decision not to do some of those activities if they are not safe.”
She said people should “go for a walk, hike, enjoy state parks, but wear your mask, just like you put on sunscreen. Think of yourself, think of your family. Think of your community and the others, and make those smart decisions. ”
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