‘It’s about time’ Burns says as Cambria County slated to move into green phase

EBENSBURG, May 29 – Upon learning that Cambria County will move into the green phase next Friday, state Rep. Frank Burns said, “It’s about time!”

In March, the governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order, shutting down schools and businesses in response to the increasing numbers of infection in the state from the COVID-19 virus. Cambria County was moved to the yellow phase May 15.

I’ve been telling the governor that it’s time to reopen the state for business and that Cambria County businesses will continue to suffer until we do so, and it seems as though he’s finally taking my advice,” Burns said.

Cambria County will move to the green phase of reopening at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 5. This phase means that everything – from child care, restaurants and retail to hair salons, pet grooming and entertainment venues – may be open for in-person service, provided they follow CDC-approved safety protocols and limit capacity to 50 percent.

“Since the start of this crisis, I’ve put the people of Cambria County first, and I will continue to do so,” Burns said. “Many people have reached out to me upset with the restrictions being placed on them during this crisis. I took immediate action, urging the governor and the Health secretary to reopen our county, since we have not seen the high numbers of infection that other counties have seen.

"We’ve flattened the curve, but our businesses are still closed. It’s time to reopen the economy before it’s too late for many small-business owners.”

Burns has aggressively pursued the interests of Cambria Countains since the governor made his widesweeping declarations, publically calling into question the one-size-fits-all response to the pandemic, calling on the governor to allow all businesses to conduct curbside pickup or delivery, just like the state-owned liquor stores were doing; helping to pass bills that would open garden centers, hair salons and construction sites; and demanding accountability for the inexcusable delays in the state’s unemployment system. And, yesterday, he voted to reopen businesses and restart the economy statewide by terminating the governor’s disaster declaration.

“It’s time to get Cambria County back to work, and now we can continue moving in that direction,” he said.