Gov. Wolf makes plea to Legislature to free up more hazard pay
Gov. Tom Wolf made a plea Thursday to the Legislature to approve more money for hazard pay to essential workers who risk their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These workers have gone above and beyond,” Wolf said at a live-streamed news conference.
He’s asking lawmakers to earmark $225 million in federal stimulus money to give lower-paid workers a $3 raise in such occupations as grocery store workers and maintenance crews.
Harrisburg allocated $50 million earlier this summer in hazard pay to essential workers and that money quickly went to 639 employers.
“That was far from being enough,” Wolf said.
His call to the lawmakers came the same day the state Health Department announced 933 new COVID-19 cases, 83 of which were reported in Allegheny County.
The virus has killed 7,913 Pennsylvanians since March after 10 new deaths were reported statewide, three of which came from Allegheny County.
There were no new deaths from the virus reported Thursday in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.
Washington County added a dozen new cases that day, taking its total to 1,250. Greene County’s case count increased by three, taking its total to 165. Fayette County added four cases to its total that climbed to 759.