Gov. Wolf: Increase in coronavirus testing needed before large-scale reopening of Pennsylvania

A day after Gov. Tom Wolf laid the groundwork for a gradual reopening of businesses in Pennsylvania, he warned in a call with reporters Tuesday that a much more robust coronavirus testing system will need to be in place for any wide reopening of the state.

“We are working with the Department of Health, PEMA (the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) – the entire administration team is working to increase the capacity for testing,” Wolf said on the call.

The governor on Monday extended the state’s stay-at-home order another week, until May 8. Some business sectors will be able to restart at that point, including construction and online auto sales.

“As we do our phased reopening, we are going to be doing that in sync with our capacity for testing,” he said.

Wolf said the state appears to be “in good shape” in terms of platforms through which to do testing. The challenge, he said, is getting the swabs and reagents necessary to perform the test, a concern The New York Times reported is echoed across the country. Wolf said the state is working with both the private sector and federal government to get the crucial supplies.

In terms of where the reopening will happen, Wolf reiterated that it will be a regional approach based on virus data. Areas with low or declining case counts could reopen “in a fairly robust way,” he said. “Others, less so.”

“If I were in Philly, I probably would not want my government to say, ‘OK, everything seems just perfect right now,’” he said.

Philadelphia County has reported nearly 10,000 cases since the virus appeared in the state on March 6, and deaths have surpassed 350. Neighboring Montgomery County is reporting 223 deaths and more than 3,000 cases, and Delaware County has reported 118 deaths and more than 2,600 cases.