93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news updates with Kathy Romano.

All right, Friday, April 24th.

Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe on Thursday addressed questions about his administration's plan to reopen the state in the middle of reported signs of coronavirus stabilization in some regions.

The second term, Democrat emphasized the need to take a staggered approach in reopening the state, admitting that some less populated areas are likely to open sooner than dense areas.

Residents of north-central and northwestern Pennsylvania are projected to be the first of the state to be released from the Governor Wolf's stay-at-home order, and many retail stores in those areas should be able to reopen under the statewide plan announced on Wednesday night. Wolf wants to begin easing some pandemic restrictions on May 8th in areas of Pennsylvania

that have been lightly impacted by the new coronavirus. Philadelphia, which surpassed 10,000

virus cases on Thursday, is not among the areas eligible for an early May reopening, he said.

The goal here is to keep people safe not to impose unnecessary restrictions on people's

freedom of movement, Wolf said.

Erie County, which lies on the state's far northwest side, is a candidate to be among the first counties phased into reopening.

With a population of nearly 270,000 people, Erie currently has just 68 cases with no reported deaths.

Now, Wolf hesitated to make a decision on Erie despite its low infection

rate. He described the county's relatively low proximity, a close proximity to major cities like

Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo, and warned that reopening might attract those people to Erie.

And that's exactly what Casey brought up yesterday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health

confirmed over 1 over 300 additional additional

positive cases of COVID-19, bringing Pennsylvania's statewide total to 37,053. New Jersey's

state total hovers at about the 100,000 mark. Philadelphia police have arrested the woman

accused of spitting on a person following an altercation over social distancing.

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