PA To Launch Civilian Coronavirus Corps: What That Means

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced plans to establish the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps — a public service program he believes will help the state safely navigate to a post-pandemic future.

The program, which will involve hiring workers in the public health sector, is aimed to bolster the state's testing and contact tracing capabilities.

Wolf, speaking of the program at a Wednesday news conference, said the number of people to be hired for the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps remains unknown at the time. The specific cost of the program is not yet available, but Wolf said the state will seek federal assistance.

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"We are walking a tightrope between health and economy. We do not want to spend the next few months or next year cloistered in our homes. We want to be able to resume working, going to school, going to church, and visiting our loved ones. We want to reopen businesses of all types, and we want to be able to do this with as low risk as possible," Wolf said.

Few specifics on the size and scope of the program were immediately available. It is expected the program will partner with local public health agencies, community organizations, and the nonprofit community. Wolf said his administration is forming the details and will share them as available.

"To reopen our economy to its maximum potential we will need to boost our ability to contain this highly transmissible virus," Wolf said. "By maximizing our testing and contact tracing capabilities, we can contain COVID-19 without widely freezing the movement of Pennsylvanians."

The Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps will not be a replacement for everyday hygiene or taking precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, the governor said.

And activities with large crowds, such as concerts, will likely not resume in Pennsylvania for some time, he noted.

Federal officials, including Anthony Fauci, have been warning of the prospect of a resurgence of the virus in the fall. "I'm almost certain it will come back, because the virus is so transmissible and it's globally spread," Fauci said, according to CNN.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said this week enhanced testing and contact tracing are essential to safeguard against furture outbreaks of the coronavirus. She said health officials will be working "every day" to implement those strategies and tools before the possible second wave.

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The development comes as the state reported 888 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 51,845. There have been 3,106 coronavirus deaths in Pennsylvania as of Wednesday.

On Friday, 24 Pennsylvania counties will begin to reopen, moving from the "red" phase of mitigation to "yellow." The system is part of a phased, color-coded reopening plan put forth last month by the Wolf Administration.

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