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Dr. Joyce Statement on Re-Opening of Six PA-13 Counties

October 6, 2020

Altoona, PA Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) issued the below statement on Governor Tom Wolf's announcement that six counties in the 13th Congressional District will transition into the "yellow phase" of re-opening next Friday, May 15. The counties to re-open include Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Somerset, and Westmoreland.

"In addition to its tragic cost of human lives, the coronavirus pandemic has claimed too many livelihoods. After weeks of Governor Wolf's shutdown, I am encouraged that many Pennsylvanians will be permitted to return to work next week. Across central Pennsylvania, we have been working hard to follow CDC guidelines, practice social distancing, and protect our neighbors. We have done our part to stop the spread of this virus and to save lives. Each of us has made costly sacrifices to safeguard our community, and our hard work has paid off.

"As counties begin to re-open, we must remember that lifting a stay-at-home order does not end the threat of coronavirus. It is important that we continue taking precautions to protect the most vulnerable among us. We cannot ?flip a switch' to return to our pre-coronavirus lives, but we can move forward safely.

"Even as the majority of counties in PA-13 proceed into the yellow phase, I continue to call on Governor Wolf to be forthcoming and transparent about the metrics that other counties must meet to re-open. The Pennsylvanians who remain under a stay-at-home order, including the residents of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and Huntingdon Counties, deserve to know why they cannot re-open."

Additional details about the yellow phase are available from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Issues:Economy