Wolf's Coronavirus Measures Saved Thousands Of Lives: Researchers

PITTSBURGH, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf's coronavirus restrictions might have been unpopular and a federal judge ruled some of them unconstitutional this week. But University of Pittsburgh researchers have concluded Wolf's actions helped to save thousands of lives.

Nearly 8,000 people have died from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in March. But the death toll likely would have been several times higher had Wolf not locked down the state and then placed stringent restrictions on things such as restaurant capacity. That's according to Mark Roberts, director of the public health dynamics lab at Pitt's graduate public health school.

“It clearly has saved lives, no question at all,” Roberts told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s easy to project that there would be two to three times the deaths, at a minimum, with less social distancing.”

Wolf's various coronavirus restrictions, which included requiring people to stay at home, ordered nonessential businesses to close and restricted crowd limits, were ruled unconstitutional on Monday. Judge William Stickman IV of the U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh ruled against Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine in a lawsuit filed by multiple parties that included included hair salons, drive-ins and several Republican elected officials.

On Tuesday, Wolf said the ruling will be appealed. The Democratic governor criticized President

Trump and Republican state lawmakers, accusing them of spreading conspiracy theories and falsehoods about the virus and the state's economic condition during the pandemic.