Harrisburg Patriot News

It’s a shame politics is part of the COVID equation, otherwise the Wolf Administration might be able to take bolder action to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania from the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf took a cautious step to require state workers in health care facilities or other “high-risk” settings to be vaccinated or get tested weekly.

And he’s trying to coax state workers to save their own lives by offering them an extra day off if they get vaccinated.

A bolder and sensible move would have mandated state workers get vaccinated, period.

It would prevent them from getting seriously ill and help wipe COVID-19 off the face of the earth.

But such a move would surely have ignited political opposition from those still not convinced people are dying from a pandemic, or who just don’t care.

Like many governors throughout the nation, Wolf is walking a fine line between upsetting people who don’t trust science, don’t believe doctors and distrust anyone who is not in their own political party.

To be honest, vaccine resisters argue the FDA hasn’t fully approved any of them, and no one should be forced to take a shot that doesn’t have final approval.

They seem to ignore the fact that these vaccines have saved millions of lives, and they could save millions more if people would just take them.

The governor also has to contend with people who make the freedom argument. They put their personal preferences above protecting their communities from a gruesome illness.

Let’s not forget, voters just sided with the governor’s political opponents to curtail his emergency powers, believing he acted too boldly in 2020 to crush COVID-19.

So here we are a year later, and COVID-19 is still a clear and present danger. Some rightly wonder if we had just done it right in 2020, would we be facing the delta variant today?

And if we don’t do it right now, what will we be facing tomorrow?

Hospitals are filling up, younger people are getting sick and even dying, and kids are about to return to the classroom — many not even required to wear masks, let alone get vaccinated.

If politics were not an issue, COVID-19 could be treated like measles, mumps or chicken pox.

Kids who aren’t vaccinated wouldn’t be allowed to enter the classroom. Teachers would have to get the shot, and all health care professionals would have to do the same. Period.

Instead, politics is forcing cautious officials to go all wobbly, letting each school district decide whether to protect kids or let them take their chances with COVID-19.

Just understand what that means. Kids will end up in hospitals and schools once again will be closed.

Look at what’s happening in Mississippi where the virus took less than six days to sweep through an elementary school, despite a mask mandate. South Hancock Elementary School is now closing for at least 14 days. Look for the same to happen here.

Think about what it means in a hospital, where infected workers will be able to spread the virus for days before their weekly test.

Wolf may need to throw caution to the wind and provide bolder incentives than a day off to get people to do the right thing.

But if politics weren’t an issue, he just might be able to mandate it.