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Keystone State Games canceled

As Pennsylvania expands reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, residents will ultimately decide when they feel safe enough to resume activities that become available, Gov. Tom Wolf said during a Wednesday session with reporters.
				His comment came during an inquiry about whether he envisions large events and gatherings before a coronavirus vaccine is in place.
				To feel comfortable going to a Penn State game or other major event, people must have some confidence they won&rsquo;t get sick being in close contact with others, Wolf said, unable to provide a timeline on when such mass gatherings would be allowable.
				&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s going to take to get our economy back to normal,&rdquo; Wolf said, referring to public confidence. &ldquo;I personally am not sure that can happen fully 100% until we get to a vaccine that&rsquo;s foolproof.&rdquo;
				Wolf said he was informed on Monday that there were still very few people on the streets of Pittsburgh following its move to the less restrictive yellow phase, which allows some non-essential businesses to reopen with continued safety protocols.
				&ldquo;People are still unsure,&rdquo; Wolf said.
				He predicted &ldquo;life is going to be different&rdquo; until all 13 million state residents feel safe.
				On the topic of large events, gatherings of more than 25 people are not permitted in the yellow phase. In total, 49 counties will be in the yellow category on Friday.
				Luzerne County is among 18 still in the most restrictive red zone.
				Crowd limitation is necessary because the coronavirus spreads easily in close groups, he said.
				&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the reality we have to deal with as much as we hate it and it really frustrates us,&rdquo; Wolf said.
				Wolf said he has been working with professional sports groups &mdash; NASCAR, the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NHL and others &mdash; to figure out how they can &ldquo;move to some semblance of normalcy&rdquo; in the pandemic.
				The governor said he expects to have more serious guidance related to sporting events in several days that will be &ldquo;consistent and make sense.&rdquo;
				While scientists feverishly work on a coronavirus vaccine, state officials are concentrating on increasing testing and contact tracing and monitoring the development of tests that more rapidly identify those infected and trace antibodies from past infection, Wolf said.
				As of Tuesday, the state was up to 11,000 coronavirus tests per day, an improvement from 6,000 &ldquo;not too long ago,&rdquo; he said.
				Wolf noted a Drexel University study concluded the state&rsquo;s shutdown order and other measures saved 7,000 lives in Philadelphia alone.

Wolf: Public confidence key to normalcy