SULLIVAN COUNTY, Pa. — Pennsylvania's plan to slowly reopen, region by region, is set to start next Friday, May 8.
The Northcentral region, which includes most of Central Pennsylvania, is slated to be the first to get back to business.
With only one confirmed case of COVID-19, Sullivan County may be ready to break out the "open" signs by the target date of May 8.
But what will prevent people from outside the county from flocking there and potentially bringing the virus along with them?
Commissioners from rural counties say they need to be prepared for visitors from other counties in Pennsylvania, but also from other states.
A Susquehanna County commissioner says it has seen that already.
"When when this initially happened, and New York was really inundated and, and they put the protocols in place in New York. We did get an influx of individuals that came from those areas to here, so it is a concern," said Commissioner Judy Herschel.
In Sullivan County, more than half of the residences there are already seasonal or secondary homes. That's something county commissioners say they'll need to be aware of as the warmer months arrive.
"That's why we want to work in a regional approach with our neighboring counties, particularly those counties like Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Tioga, and Lycoming; essentially collaborating with our bordering counties would definitely be preferable versus just acting along as an individual county because each county is going to have unique situations," said Sullivan County Commissioner Brian Hoffman.
We asked Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine last week what county officials could do to prevent an influx of visitors once they reopen.
"I think that that's unlikely. I think everyone in the state will be looking at the reopenings, and with the progressive approach, the governor has outlined and know that when their area or their county has less cases, then they'll reopen as well. So I think it's unlikely that we're gonna see this large spread of people trying to get to the counties that have opened," said Dr. Levine during her Wednesday, April 22 press briefing.