Heffley Urges Governors to Limit Out-of-State Travel by Residents During COVID-19 Outbreak

March 30, 2020

HARRISBURG – Due to concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19 in Carbon County, Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) today sent a letter to the governors of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania urging them to take action regarding the travel of out-of-state residents into the Commonwealth.

Heffley said many residents from the two neighboring states are either leasing short-term rental properties in Carbon County or staying in properties they own to “weather the storm.”

“I am concerned that these out-of-state residents are not self-isolating for 14 days, as they are being asked to do,” wrote Heffley. “Communities in these areas do not have police departments, so there is no one, save small private development security forces, to enforce this self-isolation policy. Furthermore, some of these residents are still traveling back and forth from the communities at the epicenter of the pandemic.”

Heffley said he is also concerned the area’s health care infrastructure would not be able to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases created by the influx of sick, out-of-state visitors.

“The residents in my district and region are taking our governor’s stay-at-home order seriously, and they deserve to know every precaution is being taken to ensure we are doing everything in our power to minimize the possibility of infections overwhelming their communities,” Heffley added. “We must take action to protect them, just as New Jersey’s governor did to protect shore communities where some Pennsylvania and New York residents chose to flee.”

Heffley requested the governors issue a public statement urging residents to stay home and not travel out-of-state.

Heffley’s letter is here.

Representative Doyle Heffley
122ndLegislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717-260-6474
abriggs@pahousegop.com
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