Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) warned Monday of potential "consequences" for counties and businesses that defy his coronavirus lockdown orders.
Wolf outlined the potential punishments on his Twitter account following a press conference. This came after he admitted that Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) had not asked him to interfere with areas in the state that are moving forward despite his lockdown orders.
Wolf said on Twitter, "I won’t sit back and watch residents who live in counties under Stay at Home orders get sick because local leaders cannot see the risks of #COVID19 and push to reopen prematurely. Today I am announcing consequences for counties that do not abide by the law to remain closed."
Further, restaurants who open in counties still under lockdown "will risk receiving a citation." The governor also threatened that "these citations can ultimately lead to the loss of a restaurant’s liquor license."
In an attempt to speak empathetically to workers, Wolf said, "If your county reopens prematurely and you don’t feel comfortable returning to work, rest assured that the commonwealth will allow you to continue to receive unemployment compensation, even if your employer reopens."
Wolf also declared, "This is not a time to give up. This is not time to surrender. This is a time to rededicate ourselves to the task of beating this virus."
Perhaps fancying himself a hero, he added, "I intend to keep fighting. And, I believe that the overwhelming majority of my fellow Pennsylvanians intend to keep fighting it too. And with that unity, I know we can win."
Has Wolf gone too far?