Coronavirus Pennsylvania: Statewide COVID-19 Cases Nears 48,000 As Death Toll Approaches 2,500
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) - The number of COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania is nearing 48,000, as the statewide death toll approaches 2,500. An additional 1,397 cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the state's total to 47,934.
The death toll in the state is now at 2,475.
"As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing," Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. "We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders."
Meanwhile, Gov. Tom Wolf's business shutdown waiver program is being audited amid complaints it was managed unfairly, Pennsylvania's chief fiscal watchdog announced Thursday.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said he is investigating how the Department of Community and Economic Development ran the waiver program, under which tens of thousands of businesses applied to remain open during the pandemic.
In March, Wolf, a Democrat, closed businesses deemed "non-life-sustaining" to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 45,000 Pennsylvania residents and killed nearly 2,300. Wolf said Thursday that he welcomed a review by the auditor general's office, headed by DePasquale, a fellow Democrat who is running for Congress this year.
The pandemic and the state's efforts to contain the virus have caused economic devastation, throwing nearly 1.7 million Pennsylvania residents out of work since mid-March.
"During this pandemic, obviously our economy has taken a huge hit. The question we need to find out is, could more businesses have been opened?" DePasquale said in a video news conference. "And was this done in a fair process?"
Many businesses have complained about a process they contend has been slow and arbitrary. Senate Republicans had been pressing for an audit, and Wolf agreed to it, according to DePasquale.
"A lot of businesses do believe it was cumbersome and not fair. That's their point of view and we're going to investigate their claims," DePasquale said.
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In a separate telephone news conference, Wolf offered a vigorous defense of the waiver program.
Pennsylvania was possibly the only state to allow businesses to appeal their designation as either essential or nonessential as governors across the country ordered shutdowns, Wolf said.
The waiver process, he said, was done in an attempt to make the state's shutdown more open and transparent, giving businesses the chance to make their case to a team of employees in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
All told, out of about 1 million businesses in Pennsylvania, about 1% applied and were denied, Wolf said.
"We tried to do right thing," Wolf said. "Were some mistakes made? Maybe. And if they were, then the folks in Pennsylvania have every right to know about that. I think the auditor general is in a really good position to determine whether that in fact happened."
More than 42,000 businesses applied for exemptions by the April 3 application deadline. Over 6,000 had been approved through Wednesday, while more than 13,000 applications were denied. Thousands more businesses applied for waivers that didn't need them to stay open, according to state officials.
Wolf recently announced he is loosening some restrictions as the virus threat begins to ebb. On Friday, golf courses, marinas, guided fishing trips and privately owned campgrounds will be allowed to reopen, and construction will be allowed to restart.
Wolf also plans to gradually begin easing stay-at-home orders on May 8 in lightly impacted regions of the state.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
