Gov. Wolf's plan to reopen PA by regions draws criticism from Lancaster Co. leaders

LANCASTER COUNTY — Senator Scott Martin is already scheduling a hearing for May 4 to tackle this issue and commissioners say they have sent questions and comments to the Department of Health.

The big issue is that if reopening goes region by region, Lancaster could be weeks behind the rest of Central Pennsylvania.

"If this continues to go on I think we will lose the good faith of people,” said Lancaster County Commissioner Ray D’Agostino.

Governor Tom Wolf's plan to reopen Pennsylvania isn't sitting well with many of Lancaster County's leaders.

"Guidelines and the directions people take have been changing -- almost it seems every other day,” said State Senator Scott Martin (R) 13th District.

Clarity, transparency, and now a regional based approach all at issue; All drawing criticism from Lancaster’s elected officials.

"We just can't continue to go on this way we have got to have some kind of hope that we can reopen this economy,” said D’Agostino.

Commissioner D'Agostino and Sen. Martin say that new guidelines that tie Lancaster to Philadelphia just don't make sense.

"Lancaster County has never been known as a southeast region,” said Sen. Martin.

"It took us by surprise I don't think anyone here thinks of us as the southeastern PA region,” said D’Agostino.

Both men and others say that co-ops and groupings have routinely placed them in the south-central region. An area that includes York County and others that closely resemble the county's DNA.

“We should be judged based on the outcomes that we have here. It's not necessarily what the positive cases are it should be based on what is your hospitalization, what is your use of a ventilator. What is the strain on your system which we're not necessarily having right now,” said Sen. Martin.

Even if that doesn't happen, leaders say it's critical that they get good information going forward.

“There we need to know the data that will be utilized and we need to get access to the data as well so that we can work in partnership and cooperation with others like this governor to reopen Lancaster County,” said D’Agostino.

County leaders say that data doesn't suggest a reopen prior to May 8th.

We reached out to the Department of Health they tell us the regions have been used for decades and say that if you look at case counts Lancaster resembles the southeast more than the South Central.