Dauphin County will not yet move into the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus reopening plan, even if neighboring counties like Cumberland and York are among the 12 new ones that are allowed to do so next Friday.
Dauphin County Commissioners Jeff Haste and Mike Pries responded to the news with frustration, with Haste calling it “political payback.”
Here is everything we know as to why Dauphin is stuck in the red phase, otherwise known as the complete stay at home order.
Who is moving to yellow next week?
The twelve counties are: Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne, and York.
Why isn’t Dauphin County among them?
According to Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the county has not yet met the state’s criteria to do so.
For reference, Levine had said earlier in a Friday afternoon news conference that Beaver County was selected to advance because it has seen a decline in confirmed coronavirus case counts over the last 14 days.
“The same metrics that we looked at in terms of Beaver County, which had decreasing rates of infection, did not show positive results in terms of Dauphin County,” Levine said. "Dauphin County still has significant rates of infection, as well as evidence of community transmission and spread of COVID-19.
"In fact, in the last week actually, the numbers have gone up somewhat, and so Dauphin County was not in a position, in terms of the spread of this dangerous virus, to go from red to yellow."
What did the Dauphin County commissioners say, and what about the numbers?
As explained above, two of them disagreed with the decision, even after they decided against moving their county to the yellow phase without Wolf’s permission earlier this week.
“The Governor’s decision today to keep Dauphin, Lebanon and Lancaster counties shut down while neighboring counties begin to reopen is nothing more than political payback,” Haste said in a statement Friday.
“Rather than listen to the people of Pennsylvania, he pits groups of people against each other and puts out misleading data to back up his cause. We’ve heard from hundreds of residents and business owners that the time to reopen is now.”
Wolf was actually asked Friday whether or not politics are playing a role in his decisions in relation to the Beaver County reopening.
“These are not political decisions,” he said. "Again, I’m trying to, we’re all trying to keep people safe, and as Dr. Levine just said, we’re looking at the data, and Beaver County is doing much better, which means that we think that that virus has less of a chance this week than it did last week of actually infecting people.
“That’s what’s driving these decisions all across Pennsylvania. Politics has nothing to do with this.”
The commissioners also provided the following information to support their argument in a news release:
"Cumberland tested 3,094. Of this total, 477, or 15 percent, tested positive. A total of 2,617, or 85 percent, tested negative.
Dauphin County tested 7,594. Of this total, 895, or 12 percent, tested positive. A total of 6,699, 88 percent, tested negative – three points better than Cumberland County.
“Based on these figures, Dauphin County has performed two-and-a-half times as many tests as Cumberland County and, it seems, is being punished for it,” said Haste.
Here is a breakdown of available ventilators, according to the DOH:
- Cumberland County total of 80.
- 7 or 9 percent of those, are being used for COVID-19.
- 21, or 26 percent, for non-COVID-19. 52, or 64 percent, are available.
- Dauphin County total of 140.
- 3, or 2 percent of those, are being used for COVID-19.
- 53, or 38 percent, are non-COVID-19.
- 84, or 60 percent, are available."
Said Pries:
“Looking at these numbers, it’s obvious that our healthcare system is not overwhelmed. "Why keep local businesses closed while thousands of people a day pack into the big-box stores? We have flattened the curve and want to reopen our county in a gradual and safe way that balances public health with the economy.”
The Wolf administration has said a number of criteria go into their reopening decisions, including having fewer than 50 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period, testing availability, and a wealth of hospital resources.
While the commissioners’ numbers suggest some parts of the criteria might have been met, Dauphin County is not currently close to meeting the case count threshold; as of Friday, it has an average of 111.8 cases per 100,000 residents according to PennLive’s math.
By comparison, two of the approved counties, Beaver (54.9 per 100,000) and Cumberland (56.4), don’t quite meet the case count either but are much closer. You can see the full county breakdown as of Fri., May 15 below. Can’t see the embed? Click here.
So could Dauphin County go next time Wolf announces a wave of counties that will move to yellow? There’s only 18 to go
“It’s hard for me to predict when a county will be ready,” Levine said. "I think that what the public can do is to follow all of the guidance that the governor has outlined today. Please stay home unless you have to go out for essential business, if you have to go to the grocery store, of course, and get food or the pharmacy and get medicines, but otherwise, please stay home. If you go out, then please practice social distancing, please wear a mask. As we’ve always said, my mask protects you, your mask protects me, and if we’re all wearing masks and the community itself is protected.
“The weather has been much better. If you go outside and you’re going to see any other people whatsoever, or there’s even the possibility that you’ll see other people, please wear a mask, and so we all need to do everything we possibly can to prevent the spread of this virus in all of our areas, and in Dauphin County.”
What happens if Dauphin County businesses reopen anyway?
Well, that depends.
District Attorney Fran Chardo and Sheriff Nick Chimienti are on the record as saying they won’t enforce Wolf’s non-life sustaining business closure order, but the Gov. has said on several occasions that businesses that open without his say-so could risk fines, loss of operational licenses, and insurance issues.
What now?
The stay at home order remains in effect for another week in Dauphin County, and it, of course, keeps most businesses shut and allows only for life-sustaining travel.
More coronavirus coverage:
- Which 12 Pa. counties will move into yellow phase of coronavirus reopening next? Here’s the list
- Coronavirus cases in Pa. top 60,000 in six weeks, with 4300+ deaths