Gov. Wolf has never been tested for COVID-19 — he and Dr. Rachel Levine relying mostly on social distancing

Pennlive ^ | 7 August A.D. 2020 | David Wenner

[lightman]

Gov. Tom Wolf said this week he’s never been tested for COVID-19.

He said so in an offhand remark at a news briefing for reporters and didn’t elaborate.

That’s much different than the level of testing for officials such as President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who reportedly are tested daily and sometimes multiple times per day. Their staffers are also tested daily, and people who meet with Trump and Pence are tested in advance.

“The Wolf Administration is following the same guidance that we offer to Pennsylvanians on a regular basis. If you are sick, and feel like you need to be tested, you should get tested,” state health department spokesman Nate Wardle said.

Wardle said Dr. Rachel Levine, the state secretary of health, was tested once “out of an abundance of caution,” with the result coming back negative.

Wolf’s acknowledgment that he’s never been tested came during a discussion of a Walmart drive-up testing site where people are asked to insert a long swab into their own nose, with the procedure intended prevent spread of COVID to the attendant. Wolf noted that given the length of the swab and how far it must be inserted, he would feel better doing it himself.

Wardle was asked why someone in a critical leadership role such as Wolf or Levine wouldn’t be tested frequently.

“The teams surrounding the Governor and the Secretary are following the same recommendations that are relayed to [everyone else]. Wear a mask, maintain social distancing and wash your hands,” he said. “Those individuals who may need to get tested have been tested, but we are not conducting routine testing for individuals who do not have symptoms.”

Wardle noted everyone who centers the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency headquarters is electronically screened for fever and high touch surfaces there are frequently disinfected. The PEMA headquarters is the base of operations for Wolf and Levine when they’re not teleworking, Wardle said.

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[lightman]

A portrait of mis-leadership.

What's good for the gelded "goose" should be good for the gander.

Hey, Tommie--up your nose with a rubber hose!

[lightman]

Pennsylvania Ping!

Please ping me with articles of interest.

FReepmail me to be added to the list.

[lightman]

Wolf noted that given the length of the swab and how far it must be inserted, he would feel better doing it himself.

Tommie the Commie or Tommie the Coward?

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Mister Dr. Rachel Levine is a psychotic who thinks he is a girl. I can't imagine living in a state where the highest health official has a severe untreated mental illness. It is an ugly man pretending to be a butt ugly woman.

[Socon-Econ]

If he tests positive with no symptoms, hope he gets quarantined for a long time, test after ridiculous test, so he will find out what it is like to be rendered useless when you’re not sick.

[AlaskaErik]

[Buckeye McFrog]

Wolf made a big show out of appointing Levine after he was elected. It was a big “F.U.!” to all of the conservative voters in this state.

[null and void]

I suspect Dr. Rachel Levine’s personality insures social distancing...

[Morpheus2009]

I got the swab up my nose real good to make sure I didn’t have the flu. If some accountant like me can have that test, and the POTUS gets tested, I don’t see why the governor cannot.

[lizma2]

He’s probably already on HCQ and Zinc.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The swab would make a left turn and come out his ear because there’s no brain in there to stop it.

[null and void]

Wolf made a big show out of appointing Levine after he was elected. It was a big "F.U.!" to all of the conservative voters in this state.

Dr. Levine made a point of moving his/her own mom out of a nursing home before moving highly infectious COVID-19 patients into nursing homes. It was a big "F.O.A.D.!" to all of the elderly in this state.

[cyclotic]

No issue social distancing from that mental case.

[bigbob]

When it comes to that thing, no amount of distance could be too much.

[P.O.E.]

I bet they’ve been having private catered parties galore.

[JMS]

Is it really social distancing for Levine or a greater than 6 foot ugly zone?

[Buckeye McFrog]

It sure was. Levine needs to be prosecuted for that.

[Morpheus2009]

I think he would already test positive. He just doesn’t want to let people know about asymptomatic cases like himself. Because the more asymptomatic cases, the less lethal the disease appears.

[jz638]

I really cannot believe how truly awful Wolf and Levine have been responding to this pandemic. Any halfway competent public official would have, by now, tightened up their game, but we’re going into month six of a reaction that has been consistently opaque, ill timed, authpritarian, defiant, unprepared, and petty. At some point the Dems running for election in the fall are going to wise up and see that they’re going down for the governor’s behavior.

[lightman]

Tommie the Commie’s cowardice about testing is further evidence that

“we are NOT in this together”.