U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and Excela Health’s chief medical officer urged the public to be patient and consider “the greater good” when it comes to reopening businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“In order to preserve public health and to prevent the spread of a disease for which there’s no cure and no vaccine, these measures have to be imposed to have the distancing that’s required,” Casey said during a town hall-style conference call Wednesday that also featured Excela’s Dr. Carol Fox.

Casey was responding to a constituent’s question about the legality of Gov. Tom Wolf’s order to close nonlife-sustaining businesses across the state in order to slow the spread of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

“We all have constitutional rights,” Casey said. “But none of those rights are unlimited or unfettered.”

Casey cited the classic example of yelling “Fire!” in a crowded movie theater.

“My right is circumscribed by a greater good, and because of the nature of this terrible, terrible disease that’s destroying people’s lives, every single American can be part of the solution,” he said.

In addition to calls from some state lawmakers to restart some sectors of the economy — as well as legislation introduced to essentially circumvent Wolf’s statewide closure of nonlife-sustaining businesses — a National Review story about Sweden’s approach to the pandemic has been shared widely on social media.

Swedish officials have restricted gatherings to no more than 50 people but are focused on isolating only the most vulnerable age groups. Preschools, grade schools (not high schools), bars, restaurants and shops are open, according to the National Review.

Sweden had more than 9,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 and around 800 deaths as of Friday, according to Google’s worldwide covid-19 map.

Dr. Fox said Pennsylvania’s approach is following the current science.

“I think it’s really important to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of individuals,” she said. “Science tells us the best way is through social distancing.”

She praised the notion of people wearing nonmedical-grade masks if they must leave home for essentials like shopping and checking on older loved ones.

“Those cloth masks that are now being recommended for nonhealth-care workers really help contain your own saliva and secretions,” she said.

Casey said he recognized that there are constitutional arguments against the legality of shutting down most businesses statewide, “but my position is that the faster we implement these procedures and the more we stick to it, the better off we will be in resolving this crisis.”

Dr. Fox agreed.

“I know it’s very difficult, and there are plans in process to help mitigate some of the financial difficulties this is bringing,” she said. “The good of community and society, in this instance, does outweigh the good of individuals.”

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