Pennsylvania State Senators Press Pennsylvania Health Secretary On Reopening Plan

Matt Petrillo reports.

YEAR N WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPCLEVE BRYAN FOR CBS-3"EYEWITNESS NEWS".TWENTY-FOUR COUNT IS INPENNSYLVANIA, BUT NONE IN OURAREA WILL BEGIN REOPENINGFRIDAY, MEANTIME,PENNSYLVANIA'S HEALTHSECRETARY TESTIFIES BEFORE ASTATE SENATE COMMITTEE TODAYDEFENDING GOVERNOR WOLF'SREOPENING PLAN.SHE FACED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEPACE OF THE REOPENING AS WELLAS CRITERIA BEING USED."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERMATT PETRILLO HAS MORE.REPORTER: VIRTUAL HEARING,PENNSYLVANIA SENATORS GRILLEDDOCTOR RACHEL LEVINE OVER THESTATE'S PLAN TO REOPEN, SOMETRYING TO POKE HOLES IN THATPLAN.ARE WE OPERATING ON LESSTHAN RELIABLE DATA.SOME ARE QUESTIONINGWHETHER THE GOAL HAS CHANGE TOSTOPPING THE SPREAD.WHY CAN WE NOT LOOK AT THISCOUNTY BY COUNTY.WE HAVE ALL BEEN GOODSOLDIERS, BUT TIME HAS COMEFOR TO US OPEN UP.REPORTER: THOSE ARE JUSTSOME OF THE QUESTIONS, FIREDAT PENNSYLVANIA HEALTHSECRETARY DOCTOR RACHEL LEVINEMONDAY MORNING.WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THATWE DO NOT SEE AN EXPLOSION OFNEW CASES.REPORTER: DOCTOR LEVINEMAINTAINS STATE PLAN TO REOPENWILL BE ROLLED OUT SLOWLY.THE PLAN WAS ANNOUNCED LASTMONTH AND SHOWS IN ORDER TOGET UP AND RUNNING COUNTIESWOULD NEED FEWER THEN 50 CASESPER 100,000 RESIDENT, OVER A14 KAY PERIOD.IF WE LOOK AT JUSTPHILADELPHIA, WITH THEPOPULATION OF THE 1.58 MILLIONPEOPLE, THERE WOULD NEED TO BELESS THAN 792 CASES, IN TWOWEEKS TIME.IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANTFOR US TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENTMORE AND MORE TESTING.REPORTER: LEVINE WAS ALSOGRILLED ABOUT WHERE COVID-19RELATED DEATHS ARE HAPPENINGMOST.ESTIMATE IS IN MONTGOMERYCOUNTY, THAT AS MUCH AS80 PERCENT OF THE DEATHS AREIN NURSING OR IN LONG TERMCARE FACILITIES.SO I ASK YOU, SECRETARY, DOESTHIS SKEW THE DATA.REPORTER: LEVINE RESPONDEDSAID TWO-THIRDS RDS OF DEATHSARE IN NURSING HOME.LONG TERM CARE LIVINGFACILITIES ARE A PART OF THECOUNTIES AND ARE INCLUDED INTHE RATES THAT WE CONSIDER INTHE COUNTIES IN TERMS OF THENUMBER OF THE CASES.REPORTER: LEVINE POINTEDOUT COUNT IS IN OUR AREA WILLLIKELY OPEN MUCH SLOWER THENOTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.