Lancaster County elected officials have issued the following statement:
On Saturday, a few representatives from Lancaster County sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf declaring their intent to formally move Lancaster County from the ‘red designation’ to the ‘yellow designation’ of the COVID-19 Phased Reopening Plan on Friday, May 15th, an action which has no legal authority. We, the undersigned elected officials, believe that doing so is a reckless mistake that will have grave consequences for county residents.
Our first responsibility as elected officials is to protect our residents’ health and safety. Without contact tracing beyond Lancaster City, increased testing countywide, increased distribution of PPE, and significantly slowed growth in cases of COVID-19 we cannot say that Lancaster is prepared to reopen earlier than the guidelines set by the Commonwealth’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine.
The federal government has tasked each state’s governor to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine who are charged with bringing Pennsylvania safely through the pandemic, not local, county, or municipal government bodies.
Everyone wants to be able to leave their homes and go back to work. As challenging as this situation is, it is concerning to know that by not attempting to try and maintain the legal and active “stay at home” order we are choosing to give up on so many of our neighbors, friends, and family. Frankly, it should not be much more difficult for us all to be patient until June 4th, when the Governor’s “stay at home” extension expires, and perhaps then Lancaster County will enter the “Yellow” phase, which imposes many of the same restrictions as the “Red” phase, but allows for reopening of small businesses and child care facilities, with social distancing still in place.
This unprecedented moment in our county’s history calls for unity over political division. We thank the people who have put their bodies on the line to continue to nourish, care, and protect all Lancaster County residents. We look forward to the time soon when we can all be with family, friends, and neighbors again.
This is hard, but we can protect our community, our neighbors, and our businesses if we work together to stop the virus first. Stay calm, stay home, and stay safe, Lancaster County.
Jaime Arroyo
Lancaster City Council
Amanda Bakay
Lancaster City Council
Bill Dalzell
Marietta Borough Council
Sandra Duncan
School Director
Columbia Borough School District
Ramon Escudero
School Director
School District of Lancaster
Xavier Garcia-Molina
Lancaster City Council
Lauren Hauck
Vice President
Millersville Borough Council
John Herr
East Petersburg Borough Council
Barry Kauffman
Manheim Township Commissioners
Sharon Lintner
Columbia Borough Council
James Andrew Malone
Mayor
East Petersburg Borough
Glen Mazis
President
Marietta Borough Council
Louis McKinney
Marietta Borough Council
Sam Mecum
President
Manheim Township Commissioners
Bradley M. Mikitko
East Donegal Auditor
Debra Miller
East Petersburg Borough Council
Tom O’Brien
Vice President
Manheim Township Commissioners
Kareena Rios
School Director
School District of Lancaster
Eric Schwarz
Lancaster Township Auditor
Carrie L. Smith
President
Millersville Borough Council
Ismail Smith-Wade-El
President
Lancaster City Council
Allison Troy
Manheim Township Commissioners