GOP candidate Parnell blasts Pa. governor's 'absolutely absurd' benchmark for full reopening

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

Pennsylvania Republican congressional candidate Sean Parnell called out Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf Monday on "Fox & Friends," arguing it is "absurd" to believe the state cannot fully reopen until a "foolproof" coronavirus vaccine is available to the public.

Parnell, who is running for the House seat currently held by Democrat Conor Lamb, said business owners in the Keystone State don't have that long to wait.

"The fact of the matter is we might not ever have a vaccine. ... Pennsylvania stands on a very thin line between hope and darkness," said Parnell, a decorated combat veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. "We have Democrat and Republican business [owners] around here that are about to close their doors forever. We have 2.2 million people unemployed, over 30 percent of the state, and most can't access the state's antiquated unemployment system. It's a disaster. We have no choice but to reopen safely."

EMILY COMPAGNO: ON MEMORIAL DAY, I REMEMBER MY MILITARY FAMILY AND ALL WHO HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

As he faces increasing pressure from the business community, Wolf said Thursday he does not believe the state can return to normalcy until a proven vaccine is widely available. The governor emphasized the need for widespread testing and contact tracing.

“Ultimately I think what it’s going to take for everybody to feel safe going to a Penn State game or a basketball game is that they have some confidence that they’re not going to get sick by being in close contact with somebody else,” Wolf said.

“I think that’s what it’s going to take to really get our economy back to normal, and I really think that can’t happen fully, 100 percent until we have a vaccine that is foolproof. That’s my own stance.”

PA DINER OWNERS REOPEN IN DEFIANCE OF GOVERNOR'S ORDER

Parnell said 80 percent of coronavirus deaths in the state occurred in nursing homes, and locking down the economy would not have prevented that from happening. Wolf initially said the economic shutdown was temporary to slow the spread of the virus, but Parnell pointed out that the rhetoric has gradually shifted to a vaccine now being necessary for reopening.

Earlier on "Fox & Friends" Monday, the owners of a York, Pa. diner that reopened in defiance of state coronavirus shutdown orders called out Democrats for going "too far" after the state temporarily revoked their license to operate.

In an interview with host Steve Doocy, Round the Clock Diner owners Dimos and Christos Sacarellos, who are father and son, said they remain open for Memorial Day customers while they appeal the order.

After a recent appearance on the show, the Sacarelloses said they received notice that their two locations had been shut down, with Christos Sacarellos calling it a "tyrannical temper tantrum" by Gov. Wolf.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, some Democrats in Pennsylvania are reportedly beginning to put some pressure on Wolf about the state’s reopening process two months after his office issued a stay-at-home order.

The Philadelphia Inquirer pointed to a few recent instances where Democrats seemed eager to see bigger steps in the state's reopening, including a letter from State. Sen. Maria Collett that relayed some frustrations of residents in Montgomery County.