June 5 will mark a change in lifestyle for many in the Lehigh Valley. Governor Tom Wolf announced Friday that while 16 rural counties will be moving from the Yellow to the Green phase of the state re-opening plan, all the counties still in Red, including Lehigh and Northampton, will be elevated to Yellow.

Wolf said the administration is working in conjunction with medical experts and county and municipal governments to make certain everybody is prepared and nobody is rushed. “The goal here is to make sure every Pennsylvanian is confident they will be safe.”

Wolf said that even as counties re-open and restrictions are relaxed, the state continues to refine its reaction processes and testing capabilities to diminish or isolate new outbreaks of COVID-19. Pennsylvania is now performing 13,000 tests per day at more than 300 sites – more than any other state. With expanded contact tracing, daily infection counts are less than 600, far below the typical 1,000-plus rates of a month ago.

“We can’t stay isolated forever,” Wolf said, but, “all of this won’t be enough if we don’t take simple precautions to prevent outbreaks.”

Amid ongoing protests Wolf admitted he doesn’t know why wearing masks has become politicized, but that doing so is absolutely in everybody’s best interest, and that it’s been proven wearing even a simple towel as a basic protection can reduce coronavirus transmission by up to 60 percent.

State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine stressed this last point, saying everyone should continue to distance themselves, wash their hands and wear masks. She asks that we make specific plans as we re-engage, remain cautious, and consider whether going out is really necessary if there’s the possibility of a lot of contact. “COVID-19 has not gone away. Be aware and alert.”

As of Monday, the state has 71,926 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,555 deaths. Lehigh County has 3,747 confirmed and 228 deaths; Northampton County has 3,062 confirmed and 210 deaths; the city of Bethlehem has 943 confirmed and 46 deaths.