In response to the greater than 50,000 reported cases of COVID- 19, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, in a May 6, 2020
Executive Order
, declared individual licensed health care providers and emergency service providers offering COVID-19 care, “agents of the Commonwealth” and therefore immune from liability for negligent COVID-19 care.
The Order is intended to protect those individuals on the front line of the fight against COVID-19, and declared such providers as Commonwealth agents that will have immunity from civil litigation unless their acts or omissions constitute crimes, gross negligence, fraud, malice or other willful conduct. In addition to the safeguards for licensed health care providers, the Executive Order also provides immunity to property owners who allow free use of their property for emergency response.
It must be noted that the providers described above include only individual licensed workers at certain health care institutions like hospitals, nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living facilities. The Order does not provide safeguards for the specific institution like, a hospital, a nursing or personal care home or any other medical facility.
