Editorial Roundup: Pennsylvania

Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Pennsylvania’s newspapers:

Move to yellow a beginning, not an end

Reading Eagle

May 26

It’s unquestionably good news that Gov. Tom Wolf plans to relax restrictions next week in the counties still classified as red under his process for restoring business activity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The governor announced last week that the counties in our region will move from red to yellow by June 5. These were among Pennsylvania’s hardest-hit areas.

After weeks of sometimes heated debate about when this would happen, we can finally move on the next phase.

But before the change begins, it’s important that people understand what it does and does not mean.

So much of the discussion lately has revolved around when to “reopen” counties for business. Exactly what that means varies depending on who is saying it, but it’s clear that many are looking for a return to the world we had before restrictions started taking effect in mid-March.

Let there be no confusion: A move to yellow does not constitute a reopening. It’s a first step toward reopening, but come June 5 we’ll still be a long way from life as we once knew it.

The big news is that retailers and many other businesses deemed nonessential will be allowed to reopen, as will child care facilities.

But stringent rules remain. Though the governor’s stay-at-home order will be lifted, gatherings of more than 25 people will be prohibited. Theaters, casinos, gyms and salons still are not allowed to reopen. Restaurants and bars may only do business via takeout and delivery. Social distancing rules remain in effect for businesses that are open. The state still encourages businesses to have employees work from home when feasible.

And even when we reach green status under the governor’s plan, there will still be restrictions. Restaurants, salons, gyms, entertainment venues and the like will have to operate with reduced capacity.

The point is that while we can all welcome moves in the direction of normalcy, we’re in it for the long haul with COVID-19. Until a vaccine can be administered and/or effective therapies developed, things are not going to be exactly the way they were.

Most importantly, Pennsylvania’s residents must do all they can to continue engaging in safe practices regardless of changes in state rules and regulations. That means wearing a face mask when going out in public, avoiding crowds and keeping one’s distance from others.

We need to make a slow, steady and safe move toward normalcy. It’s undeniably frustrating, but we’d rather deal with a difficult but manageable situation now than be faced with a spike in cases that leads to another crisis and a return to the strictest rules.

Remember too that the public’s willingness to go out matters as much as any edicts that come from Harrisburg or Washington. If people see evidence that the virus is starting to spread again, many of them won’t patronize businesses or go to work in places that seem dangerous.

The other side of that coin is avoiding overconfidence. With case numbers moving in the right direction in many areas and many places starting to reopen, it seems many people believe there’s no longer anything to worry about. Many of them, no doubt, never took it seriously in the first place.

During the Memorial Day weekend, as U.S. coronavirus deaths continued to climb and approached the 100,000 mark, we saw images of people at pools, beaches, bars, etc., behaving as if there were no pandemic at all. They were in close proximity to one another, and they weren’t wearing masks.

We believe such situations were the exception rather than the rule, but there’s no doubt that lots of people are starting to let down their guard to some extent. We urge readers to remain vigilant.

It’s absolutely understandable that people want to get out after more than two months of mostly staying at home. And that’s fine. We just ask that folks follow some simple rules to ensure that they and those around them stay safe. Don’t assume the pandemic is over.

Online: https://bit.ly/3c8LPlt

Enough with the face mask culture war. Masks protect against COVID-19, so please wear one.

LNP

May 27

As of Tuesday, Lancaster County had seen 2,985 positive cases of COVID-19 - 89 more cases than Monday’s total, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said the county had seen 284 deaths from the viral disease. Gov. Tom Wolf has indicated that Lancaster County, like other parts of the commonwealth still in the most restrictive “red” phase of his reopening plan, should be able to move officially into the “yellow” phase June 5.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we saw images of Americans in other states crowding onto beaches and boardwalks, and into bars and swimming pools - and, in Missouri, into a bar with a swimming pool. Most of the revelers were unmasked, apparently oblivious to the risks of COVID-19.

The discouraging images could be employed in a stark public service announcement of what not to do during a deadly pandemic.

Lancaster County residents: We need to do a whole lot better than those weekend revelers. (Admittedly, it’s not a high bar.)

If we want to see more businesses here reopened and operating successfully in less than two weeks - and we should be rooting for that to happen - we need to prepare now to be responsible customers.

That means acquiring face masks if we don’t have them and getting used to wearing them in public spaces where staying at least 6 feet apart from others is difficult - inside a business, for instance.

Even during the yellow phase, businesses must provide their employees with masks to wear while working, and customers who enter those businesses also must wear masks, according to an order signed April 15 by Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. (According to that order, businesses that provide medication, medical supplies or groceries must provide an alternate means of delivering goods to customers who cannot wear masks.)

If you don’t have a mask, it’s easy to make one (also, there are roadside stands throughout the county selling them). If you wear glasses and they fog up when you’re wearing a mask, put a tissue folded horizontally on the bridge of your nose beneath the mask, or insert a flexible wire into the mask edge so it can be molded around your nose; it’s not an insurmountable problem.

Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition that would be worsened by wearing a mask, there’s no excuse not to wear one.

Politics must not be a reason.

As we noted last week, the cultural and political war over mask-wearing “is one of the more ludicrous aspects of this very strange time.”

We continue to wonder if everything in the U.S. now needs to be politicized. Even masks.

Last week, Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum spoke emotionally about the issue in a news conference.

“We’re all in this together, and there’s only one battle we’re fighting, and that’s the battle of the virus,” Burgum said. “I would really love to see in North Dakota that we could just skip this thing that other parts of the nation are going through, where they’re creating a divide, either it’s ideological, or political, or something, around mask versus no mask. This is a … senseless dividing line, and I would ask people to try to dial up your empathy and your understanding.

“If someone is wearing a mask, they’re not doing it to represent what political party they’re in or what candidates they support,” Burgum continued. “They might be doing it because they’ve got a 5-year-old child who’s been going through cancer treatments. They might have vulnerable adults in their life who currently have COVID.”

Burgum added that the first assumption that should be made about a person wearing a mask “is that they’re doing it because they’ve got people in their life that they love and that they’re trying to take care of. I just think let’s just start there.”

Masks vs. no masks is indeed, as the red state governor said, “a senseless dividing line.”

And he was right: We need - all of us - to dial up our empathy and consider other people, and the small businesses we hope will rebound, as we resume moving around the community.

As Burgum asserted, wearing a mask shouldn’t signal someone’s political affiliation or worldview. It’s meant to protect other people from a virus that could cause them serious harm. It’s meant to limit the spread of COVID-19.

It’s a simple act of kindness and empathy to wear a mask in public, to deal with a mildly annoying piece of cloth covering your nose and mouth because you’re concerned about the health and well-being of others.

That isn’t virtue-signaling or an expression of moral superiority. It’s the golden rule in action.

Is it going to be a bit uncomfortable to wear a mask on a 90-degree day? Yes, it will be.

Is it the biggest sacrifice we could be asked to make? No, absolutely not, and Memorial Day just has reminded us of that.

A mask is not a tool of tyranny or a symbol of political correctness. It’s just something we need to wear to protect other people from a virus we could be carrying without knowing it.

Recent studies have shown that “a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms,” notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, and “even those who eventually develop symptoms … can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity - for example, speaking, coughing or sneezing - even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.”

We’d rather wear masks than carry the worry that we might make other people sick. The former is a minor inconvenience. The latter is a burden we’d rather not shoulder.

Online: https://bit.ly/3dkN7LD

Missing our sports: Return to play would be welcome diversion

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

May 27

As several professional sports leagues continue to develop plans for a return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, a couple of things seem obvious: When or if teams resume play, it will likely be in empty venues, and regardless of whether the stands are empty, eager fans will welcome the return.

The nation is in desperate need of a bit of diversion from the isolation of the lockdowns that are only now starting to ease across the country. A chance to watch a live televised hockey or baseball game would be a welcome change of pace for millions.

Whether league officials can come up with a plan that puts player safety first while returning to play is the first hurdle to overcome. Players and staff would have to be tested regularly for COVID-19, and any positive results would require isolation of the player and implementation of a host of safety measures to prevent spreading the virus.

Then there is the matter of limiting travel and exposure to the coronavirus while living in hotels. The National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association are all exploring options that would have teams playing in only a few cities and having players and their families, as well as team officials, living in hotels in that city for extended periods.

The NHL, which announced plans Tuesday for a 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament that would be played in two “hub cities” possibly in late summer and early fall, also faces the challenge of getting back players who left the country. Several players returned to their homes in Canada and Europe when the shutdown was announced, and current travel bans would prevent them from immediately returning to the U.S.

The respective players unions would have to agree to any plan, and that includes how players would be compensated for shortened seasons played in empty ballparks and arenas.

Still, there is hope for a return of sporting events. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said recently that he expects to release “more serious guidelines” for how sports can return and left open the possibility of having NASCAR run its doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway in late June - without fans - if Monroe County is in the yellow phase by then.

And while baseball, hockey and basketball are working on plans for a more-immediate return, the National Football League is intent on playing games - with or without fans - this fall.

Sports is part of the nation’s fabric and a return to play, even in a limited fashion, would salvage something of what is shaping up to be a lost summer. Swimming pools will be closed, parades and fairs have been canceled, and most organized youth sports are shut down.

At a time when fans are normally reveling in the play of the Stanley Cup finals and the NBA championship, and settling in to the early days of the MLB season, they instead find their viewing options limited to replays of past games.

President Franklin Roosevelt encouraged baseball owners to keep playing during World War II, writing in a letter that “I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.” If the safety issues can be properly addressed, a return to play this summer would be a welcome sign of hope and bring some much-needed enjoyment to millions of fans.

Online: https://bit.ly/2Ag8r60

The Philadelphia Inquirer

May 22

As the nation begins to emerge from lockdown, and with no effective treatment - let alone a cure - for covid-19 in sight, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other states must expand their confidential contact tracing capacity. Officials in Harrisburg, Trenton, and Philadelphia say hundreds if not thousands of additional trained workers may be needed for the painstaking process of identifying and notifying everyone who has been exposed to an infected person and connecting them with services. A landmark Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health proposal estimates that another 100,000 contact tracers are necessary nationwide.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Philly have begun preparations, but full deployment of what New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy vowed would be an “army” of contact tracers is still weeks away. Meanwhile, millions of people across the country and thousands in our region are leaving their homes, going back to work, or heading down the Shore. Pressure to fully revive a largely comatose economy is intensifying, incoherent signals from the White House continue, the virus remains contagious, and America once again is playing catch-up with a fast-moving pandemic.

This is inexplicable, because contact tracing’s value as a key contagion control tool - particularly when case numbers are relatively low - is well established. It’s even been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as a key component of any national strategy. And health departments in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Philadelphia have long operated such programs for sexually transmitted and other diseases, with confidentiality and privacy protections in place.

Since April, the city health department has been collaborating with Penn Public Health to provide coronavirus contact tracing on a small scale. New Jersey’s health department website includes a registration form for people interested in contact tracer training; more than 41,000 people have responded so far. The Pennsylvania health department also is soliciting interest online; state officials say they already have the ability to conduct contact tracing for the counties that are reopening, and are working to increase capacity statewide.

Political and bureaucratic turf battles, as well as technical problems, were largely responsible for delaying the nationwide availability of testing, which, like tracking - and for that matter, social distancing - is a proven infection control tool. But it’s not clear why Pennsylvania and New Jersey aren’t as far along in expanded contact tracing as, say, Massachusetts, where Gov. Charlie Baker announced his state’s COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative on April 3. More recently, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Philadelphia have identified federal sources that will help pay for the time-consuming and labor-intensive contact tracing process.

New cases and hospitalizations appear to be reaching a plateau in parts of the region, but hot spots continue to flare up. Chances for exposure will increase as more people venture back into the world, where the virus incubates in infected victims for 14 days and asymptomatic people can unknowingly spread it. Philadelphia and its surrounding counties remain in lockdown, and most New Jersey retail, personal service establishments, and indoor restaurant operations are still closed. The promised armies of contact tracers should be ready for duty by the time the entire Philly region goes back to work — and preferably before.

Online: https://bit.ly/3cc0E6C

Coronavirus: Yet another wedge issue

York Dispatch

May 26

If there were ever a time for national unity, battling a deadly pandemic would seem to be it.

Having eclipsed 1.5 million COVID-19 cases, seen 90,000 Americans succumb to the virus, endured a cratering economy and withstood tens of millions joining the ranks of the unemployed ought to leave the nation’s citizens rallying together in mutual support.

And maybe they’d be doing just that, if they had a president who provided leadership, encouraged unity and preached collaboration.

But leave it to President Donald Trump and his cheerleaders to turn even a pandemic into a partisan issue.

In both word and deed (mostly word, the deeds have been few and far between), the president has sought to use the pandemic to play to his base, deflect responsibility, oversell his response and, worst of all, divide Americans against one another.

None of this is new, but’s it’s beyond disappointing that Trump returns to the same sorry playbook amid a public-health crisis that has claimed more lives than the past three wars the U.S. has fought.

He continues, for example, to pit states led by Democratic governors against those headed by members of his own party. While the federal response as a whole has been pitiful - and leaving the states to compete individually on the open market for medical equipment was both inefficient and expensive - Trump added insult to injury for high-population states hit hardest by the virus.

“All the states that need help - they’re run by Democrats in every case,” Trump whined earlier this month. “You look at Illinois, you look at New York, look at California, you know, those three, there’s tremendous debt there. … I don’t think the Republicans want to be in a position where they bail out states that are, that have been mismanaged over a long period of time.”

Even during times of extreme crisis, Trump doesn’t see fellow Americans in need, fighting for their lives and, in some cases, losing; he says Democrats and Republicans. This incredibly petty partisanship has been picked up by Republican lawmakers like Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Way to help America pull together, guys!

The president has also encouraged public protests of state-level health guidelines that follow federal recommendations. His backing for heavily armed demonstrators who surrounded the statehouse in Michigan, along with Twitter calls to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia (all states headed by Democrats), are the exact opposite of what a strong, responsible leader should be urging.

Speaking of strong leaders, President Barack Obama has been among the many figures Trump has tried to blame for his own feeble coronavirus response. Trump has claimed his predecessor is somehow responsible for the Trump administration’s inability to provide sufficient testing - despite Obama having left office almost three and a half years ago (three years before the virus existed).

It’s all part of President I-Don’t-Take-Responsibility’s anybody-but-me campaign. He’s also pointed the finger at China, the World Health Organization, the CDC, governors, Democrats, the media … you get the idea.

Americans crave leadership in times of crisis. Democrats and Republicans alike stood in support of President George W. Bush following the 9/11 terrorist attacks - less than a year after an especially divisive and controversial election.

But Donald Trump is no George W. Bush. Nor is he the equal of any of his other predecessors. At a time when national unity and bipartisan collaboration are badly needed, Trump opts for divisiveness and personal political interest. It has been an unseemly, counter-productive and downright depressing performance.

Online: https://bit.ly/2TKWmwB