Pennsylvania is joining a coalition of states in the northeast to create plans on how to safely return to a form of normal life.
Governor Tom Wolf and governors from five different states– New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware– announced a joint effort Monday to create a plan for a slow and safe reopening of the region.
“We are making real progress in bending the curve and diminishing the surge,” Wolf said. “People are still dying, the economy is still tanking, and we know the draconian steps we are now taking cannot go on forever.”
No exact details were provided about the group, other than its formation. There are 18 officials on the council, including Pennsylvania’s Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, state Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin, and the governor’s Chief of Staff Mike Brunelle.
“The real goal of course is to get to the point where we can fully resume our normal lives,” Wolf said. “This will require time, along with the recognition that the new normal will be very different than the old normal we’ve grown used to.”
State officials say that Pennsylvania hasn’t reached its peak number of cases yet, and is encouraging people to continue practicing social distancing.
