Gov. Tom Wolf Says 'There Is A Light At The End Of The Tunnel' 1 Year After Pennsylvania's First COVID-19 Cases
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP/KDKA) — One year after the discovery of the first coronavirus case in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that it has been a tough and trying year, but there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel with the growing availability of vaccines.
Wolf, speaking at a news conference outside a Rite Aid pharmacy in Steelton where people with appointments were waiting to be vaccinated, announced on March 6, 2020, that Pennsylvania had confirmed its first two cases of the new coronavirus.
Since then, more than 24,200 Pennsylvanians have died from the virus and the state's case count sits at over 944,000. Now the state Health Department says more than 868,000 people have been fully vaccinated and more than 1.9 million first doses have gone into arms.
"This has been a tough year," Wolf said. "I'm not sure there isn't anybody in Pennsylvania who isn't frustrated, sad, maybe even grieving for a loved one who has been lost. ... There's a lot of sadness. But at this point though we have something we didn't have a year ago and that is hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel."
He also said that he has never been prouder of the state's residents, saying "it's been an amazing year in terms of showing ourselves what we are made of."
(TM and © Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)