HERSHEY, Pa. — Governor Tom Wolf is predicting a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the fall. He said lessons learned over the past few months can help us avoid another statewide shutdown, adding the state would do some things differently if faced with a second wave.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, and Governor Wolf visited Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County to thank healthcare workers for their dedication and courage on the front lines.
“All of us really appreciate the work that you did to keep us safe through this pandemic,” Governor Wolf said.
Medical staff share their experience on what it’s like working in the COVID-19 units. Alison Enimpah, a registered nurse at Hershey Medical Center, said she had heightened awareness of the threat as a member of the facility’s Special Pathogens Team. The team was created in 2014 to prepare for possible cases of Ebola.
Doctors, nurses and other medical staff continue to face physical and emotional challenges brought on by the pandemic. Enimpah said one of her most recent, precious memories includes the discharge of a stroke patient.
“In full PPE, we were getting ready to put her in a wheelchair and she hugged me. And I hugged her,” Enimpha remembered. “Even though it’s not something that is recommended, it just felt right and we knew it’s a reminder of such meaningful work for everybody involved.”
RELATED: Second wave of COVID-19 infections ‘anticipated’ in the fall, says Pa. Department of Health
Governor Wolf stressed the preparations in place to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases. He and Dr. Levine stressed the importance of wearing face coverings, hand washing and social distancing. Governor Wolf admits that the state would do some things differently in response to a second wave.
“For example, we couldn’t test back when this whole thing started. Now we can. We don’t have enough to do surveillance testing, but we have 16,000 tests a day. I think that’s more than we could do in March,” he said.
Testing has proven to be critical in mitigating the spread of the virus, especially in long-term care facilities. For some families, it has been nearly four months since they have seen their loved ones.
The Department of Health is drafting guidance for nursing homes regarding in-person visitations. Secretary Levine said they will release that guidance on Friday, but “guesses it can be Monday.”
“As we allow visitors, we want to do that in the most safe way so we don’t run the risk of bringing in asymptomatic individuals to those facilities,” she said.