Burns questions why Cambria County not included in reopening plan
‘We are not Pittsburgh,’ lawmaker says, noting relatively small number of coronavirus cases
Rep. Frank Burns May 1, 2020 | 3:50 PM
EBENSBURG, May 1 – Expressing his frustration and bewilderment with the governor’s administration to not include Cambria County as ‘yellow’ in its phased plan to reopen Pennsylvania, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today called for detailed explanations on exactly how the administration determined which counties were allowed to begin opening.
While Burns said he sympathizes with cities like Pittsburgh that are struggling with large numbers of coronavirus cases, that is not true in Cambria County where to date, only 31 positive cases have been reported. However, despite Burns’ urging otherwise, the state today continued to lump Cambria into the same region as Pittsburgh.
“Cambria County is not Pittsburgh or Philadelphia,” Burns said. “Our community has not seen the high number of COVID-19 cases that were initially projected. To put it bluntly, Cambria County should not be lumped into the same region with the same stringent rules as Pittsburgh.”
Burns noted that when he receives calls from residents who are angry at the governor’s decisions, he typically encourages them to contact the governor's office directly. However, the governor’s office is conveniently not taking calls, instead directing people to call the Department of Health.
“I have tried over and over to work with this administration to make thoughtful, commonsense decisions when addressing this continuing crisis,” Burns said. “Since the governor won’t take calls from the public, I will continue to question this administration to get answers for the people of Cambria County.”
Just this week, Burns called on the governor to allow all businesses to conduct curbside pickup or delivery, noting that if the state-owned liquor stores can do so safely, so can every other local business. He argued that curbside pickup of vodka or a package delivery from Amazon is no different than allowing local businesses to do the same.
He also voted to support local businesses Thursday by helping to pass a bill that would open garden centers across the state and has advocated on behalf of Cambria County residents. And he has requested a meeting with the state secretary of Labor and Industry to demand answers – and accountability – for the inexcusable delays in the state’s unemployment system.
“Since the start of this crisis, I’ve put the people of Cambria County first, and I will continue to do so,” Burns said. “I know he got the message on where I stand, because his Health secretary was asked about it yesterday at a news conference. I won’t let the governor forget about us simply because we don't live in the suburbs of a big city, even though with today’s decision he seems to think we do.”