Gov. Wolf: No specific date for ending covid-19 shutdown, getting 'back to life as we once knew it'

Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday he has not yet decided precisely when to end Pennsylvania’s pandemic-spurred lockdown, and he warned that a persisting shortage of testing capacity remains a major hindrance to doing so.

”I have been considering when we end this phase from the time I put it into place. What I haven’t done is come up with the dates yet. We need to keep thinking about that, keep talking about it but … I’m not there yet. I’m not ready to provide that date,” Wolf told reporters on an afternoon conference call.

“I am working very hard to get to that point,” Wolf said, “because I think Pennsylvanians need some certainty in terms of when we’re going to be able to start to get back to life as we once knew it.”

Wolf affirmed that he won’t merely be taking the cue from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in terms of setting specific dates and procedures for reopening Pennsylvania’s businesses and lifting the statewide stay-at-home order and other restrictions.

Cuomo, whom Wolf has been cooperating with as part of a multi-state governors council, announced earlier in the day plans to extend New York’s social distancing rules until at least May 15.

“I don’t have any plans along those lines yet. … That’s New York, and (Cuomo) has to make decisions about what’s best for New York,” Wolf said. “I will continue to look at what I think is best for Pennsylvania.”

Protesters risk ‘actually hurting themselves’

Wolf said he was not aware of reported plans in the works for a group to protest the statewide shutdown outside the state Capitol in Harrisburg on Monday.

The governor said it “would be unfortunate if they actually go through with that.”

“That’s going to be their choice. I’m sorry that that’s happen(ing), if that in fact happens, because to the extent they’re banding together and violating the social distancing guidelines, they’re actually hurting themselves,” Wolf said. “I’m sorry that they’re doing that, but again, the harm they’re doing is basically to themselves and each other.”

Wolf’s initial order remains in effect through at least the end of April.

On Wednesday, Wolf vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would set a path for reopening most of the state in about three weeks. State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine rejected the proposed legislation as “reckless and irresponsible.”

Starting Sunday, essential businesses allowed to operate during Pennsylvania’s shutdown aimed to thwart the spread of covid-19 must ensure that all employees as well as customers wear masks.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he hopes some states will consider reopening as early as May 1. 

“You’re going to call your own shots,” Trump told governors, backing away from claims earlier in the week that he and the federal government would be the ones who determine the timeline.

Wolf said that uncertainty persists over just how well the first few weeks of mitigation efforts have been working, with the highly contagious coronavirus disease confirmed in all 67 counties and the statewide death toll topping 700.

RELATED: Pennsylvania reports 60 more deaths, over 1,200 new coronavirus cases

“We’re seeing some real progress,” Wolf said, “but I don’t think it’s time to declare victory.”

The governor said there are no clear, “hard and fast metrics” that will drive his decision. He said he’ll continue to consult with state and local health officials on what’s needed to “keep Pennsylvanians safe.”

Testing limitations hindering progress

Wolf echoed Levine’s comments earlier in the day that Pennsylvania’s mitigation efforts are more difficult because of problems getting enough people tested, supplying testing platforms with all the tools they need and expediting turnaround times for results.

“We have simply not had the capacity to do the testing that we need, and we’re still not there,” Wolf said.

“This is something actually that other governors are complaining about in other states, and it’s just a general problem in terms of having enough testing. Now, the hope is that we can move quickly to get to an adequate point.”

The governor was optimistic that the situation will improve with help from two newly approved antibody tests and others in the pipeline at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in addition to efforts to help fund and support more accessible drive-up testing locations.

RELATED: Rite Aid in Monroeville to begin self-swab testing for covid-19

Unemployment centers scrambling to get payments out

As the shutdown continues, the state’s labor department is hiring a slew of new workers across unemployment compensation call centers statewide, as well as hiring extra staff for payment processing and mailroom needs.

They’re scrambling to clear the backlog caused by more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians filing claims in recent weeks, a record high.

“We’re working on all those fronts, and we acknowledge that we are not where we need to be,” Wolf said. “The wait time is still entirely too long to get through to a call center person and we will continue to work on that so there’s virtually no wait time.”

RELATED: Wolf: ‘New normal’ will take time, 3 phases of response