Without testing, asymptomatic people will continue to stall our economy
| 22 Apr 2020 | 11:21
A medical worker takes a swab at a drive-through testing site off of Exit 17 on the Palisades, on the border of Rockland and Orange counties. (
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To the Editor :
Fifty miles of caskets from the coronavirus that originated in China already could be laid end to end across the United States. In Pennsylvania more than one mile of caskets laid is now a reality.
Do the math. A casket is seven feet long and then multiply this by the number of reported deaths due to COVID-19, and finally divide this number by 5,280 feet (number of feet in one mile).
In Pennsylvania, before we can return to normalcy, we must first have testing to detect the presence of this virus in Pennsylvanians. Governor Wolf made the correct move to veto Senate Bill 613.
In Pike County, we have less than 1 percent of the population tested for the coronavirus. Because of the lack of testing, let's look at what happened in the Turkey Hill store in Milford. An untested individual contaminated the store, forcing it to close.
Better yet, the Tractor Supply Store in Milford Township became exposed by an untested individual and it too was forced to close. All of the Tractor Supply employees now will have to be tested. The same thing could happen to a feed and supply store in Greentown, or any mom and pop store.
The problem is that there are unknown individuals who are not tested and who carry the virus. This is like a "Typhoid Mary" situation, in which you have an asymptomatic person who is not aware that they are an infectious carrier of COVID-19.
Shouldn't the Pennsylvania State Legislature and Senate try moving heaven and earth to to help finance the testing needed in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania, then after testing slowly restart Pennsylvania? With this serious an issue, there is no time for politics, wouldn't you think.
How many more Pennsylvanians have to lose their lives? We need a cup of common sense with this issue!
William Lamac
Matamoras