Wolf: State trying to avoid new COVID-19 restrictions

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Gov. Tom Wolf and state health officials warned Monday that rising COVID numbers combined with overworked hospital personnel have put Pennsylvania and its health care system in a dire situation.

Wolf, along with state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Ray Barishansky, deputy secretary for health preparedness and community protection at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, held a press briefing where record-breaking COVID cases for the state were reported. Health care officials implored residents to adhere to state mitigation efforts.

“Two weeks ago, we warned the commonwealth was at a precarious place,” Wolf said as the state posted its single highest day of new COVID cases, 12,884, on Saturday. “If we did not act to change our behavior, things would get worse.”

Wolf described the state’s current situation as “even more dire.”

“The reality is COVID-19 will overwhelm our hospitals,” he said. “That’s dangerous for everyone who needs medical care. We have fewer resources for Pennsylvania’s sickest, whatever their sickness. It could take longer for emergency response, and you could be turned away from hospitals. It affects all aspects of emergency care.”

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