Gov. Wolf warns of the danger of COVID-19 exposure at large gatherings
Gov. Tom Wolf Friday warned of the dangers of developing COVID-19 by attending large gatherings, including election rallies and high school football games.
“Anyone who has been in any crowd needs to be very careful,” Wolf said at a press conference in Harrisburg.
His comments followed questions about a President Trump rally Sept. 26 in Harrisburg that attracted a large, mostly unmasked crowd, and whether or not people there should be tested for the virus.
He also was questioned about crowds returning to high school football games larger than the 250 outdoor state limit.
Wolf said he was working with the PIAA on modifying his outdoor crowd limit soon for sports, but that 1,000 people at a game would be a problem.
The conversation with reporters took place hours after President Trump announced on Twitter that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus and were in quarantine in the White House.
Meanwhile, the state Health Department announced Friday that the new daily number of new COVID-19 cases stood again in four digits. There were 1,161 new cases announced, taking the statewide total to 161,284 since March.
The state also reported 19 new deaths from the virus, none of which occurred in Washington, Greene or Fayette counties.
The statewide death toll Friday climbed to 8,179.
There were 15 new cases reported in Washington County, taking its total to 1,403. Greene County added one new case to its total of 191. Fayette County added seven cases to its total of 822.