There are two schools of thought going on in Pennsylvania and in many other parts of the nation: (1) Guidance from medical and scientific experts should determine the restrictions that are put into place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Some of these restrictions are overly cautious to the extent that they are affecting the lives and livelihood of millions of Americans.

This sharp divide is playing out in Harrisburg where Tom Wolf, the Democratic governor, holds the trump card, while the Republican-controlled Legislature hopes to eventually win the hand.

After Wolf shut down the state with a 90-day disaster declaration on March 6, then renewed it twice, the Republicans had enough. With little support from Democrats, they passed House Resolution 836 challenging Wolf’s second declaration that will extend the declaration until around Thanksgiving.

As expected, Wolf vetoed the measure. The attempted House override failed by 18 votes, 118-84. To override a governor’s veto requires 136 votes among the 203 legislators in the House of Representatives. All Republicans, including Carbon’s Doyle Heffley, Schuylkill’s Jerry Knowles and Lehigh-Northampton’s Zach Mako, voted to override, and they were joined by nine Democrats, none from our area.

In his disaster declaration renewal letter, Wolf said, “I continue to be amazed at the resiliency and strength shown by Pennsylvanians during this pandemic. We are going to continue to combat the health and economic effects of COVID-19, and the renewal of my disaster declaration will provide us with resources and support needed for this effort.”

In the most recent COVID-19 dashboard reading, 22 counties, including Carbon, were in the low level of transmission. Carbon is the only one among the five counties that make up the Times News region that has distinguished itself in the low transmission group.

The other four - Schuylkill, Monroe, Northampton and Lehigh - remain in the moderate category along with 40 other counties.

Just one county - Columbia - was in the “substantial” category because of an outbreak at Bloomsburg University that fueled community transmission. The university, which attracts a number of local residents, announced that there were 49 more positive cases on Sept. 1, bringing the total since the semester began to 167, the majority of whom are living off-campus. Because of the outbreak, the college has moved to online classes until further notice.

The rampant spread of infection at other college communities is worrying health officials as the number of those testing positive statewide has gone up last week for the first time in several weeks.

Kutztown University reported its largest increase since students returned to campus several weeks ago. Administrators are determining whether to continue in-person classes in light of the 25 positive cases most of which have been attributed to social gatherings.

Penn State reported 174 new cases for the week ending Aug. 29, while outbreaks at Temple University in Philadelphia and Lock Haven University prompted administrators to suspend in-person classes. Students at Gettysburg College were quarantined to their rooms because of a spike in cases there.

Republicans have been trying desperately to curb Wolf’s powers during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Wolf has succeeded in fending them off as the state Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court have sided with his authority. Other legal challenges are pending.

This latest veto was the sixth Wolf has issued in response to Republicans’ challenges; none could be overridden, further frustrating the Republican leadership who are getting an earful from their business constituents and unemployed individuals who are straining under what Republicans call unreasonable restrictions.

Heffley had said earlier than the 25% capacity for restaurants is a prescription for failure, especially in the hospitality-rich portion of his district that depends on tourists and volume.

The unemployment rate in the Poconos is a state high 19%, nearly 35% higher than the unemployment rate in the Lehigh Valley, which is seventh-highest in the state.

In defending his sometimes very unpopular decisions, Wolf said the commonwealth has relied on scientific data to respond aggressively to the spread of COVID-19, first by working to contain the virus through contact tracing and quarantines. He said in concert with appropriate state agencies, his office moved to manage cases by issuing orders to close schools and non-life-sustaining businesses and to restrict large gatherings.

“This decision to respond aggressively has proved to be an essential and effective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ultimately save an unrealized number of Pennsylvanians’ lives,” Wolf said.

The governor said that as the situation stabilizes plans are underway for a “measured and strategic approach” to allow Pennsylvanians to return to work safely to prevent a resurgence of the virus. Wolf said this must be done in a way that balances a return to economic stability, while at the same time continuing to keep Pennsylvanians safe by controlling the spread of disease.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com