Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday he tested positive for COVID-19, but said he was negative for the virus Thursday, and now he wants to shut down the state through Christmas and New Year's.
Wolf upped the ante on his statewide coronavirus lockdowns Thursday, halting indoor dining and school sports, and closing casinos and theaters. Also, he is restricting all business serving the public — including retailers, barber shops, salons, amog others — to 50% capacity.
The moves, effective this Saturday until Jan. 4, were announced at a news conference Thursday, according to PennLive.com.
"We need to slow the spread right now to save lives," Wolf said.
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, shot back at Wolf: "Do not cancel Christmas.
"I recognize we are facing a serious resurgence of COVID-19 and our healthcare systems are struggling to keep up with the increased demand; however, job-crushing, harmful government mandates are not the answer," Benninghoff told PennLive.com.
K-12 sports are blocked and no more spectators will be permitted at pro sports.
Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people, but places of worship are exempt from those restrictions, according to the report. Most dramatically, restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries can only offer outdoor dining, carryout or delivery.
Pennsylvania's Department of Health reported 12,000 new cases Thursday and has had more than 10,000 daily new cases at least five times in the past week, per the report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.