Planned Parenthood Open Despite Coronavirus: ‘Abortion Services Only’
Businesses that are not 'life-sustaining' except for abortion clinics
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Planned Parenthood Keystone in Pennsylvania has stopped its service for in-person birth control and sexually transmitted infection (STI), announcing it will be open “for abortion services only," in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
The affiliate’s website stated:
“At this time, Planned Parenthood Keystone is serving patients in Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, Warminster, Reading, York, and Harrisburg for abortion services only."
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania’s website also announced:
“COVID-19 UPDATE: Our Abortion Centers are open!”
“Everyone’s safety is our top priority,” Planned Parenthood states.
“We know that people’s sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait, even in uncertain times like this, and we’re doing all we can to meet our patients’ needs.”
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Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Health ordered all businesses that are not “life-sustaining" to be closed.
But abortion clinics, which do the exact opposite, were excluded from the order.
The order also banned elective health procedures, but Planned Parenthood Keystone is still allowed to continue elective abortions.
Chair of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, Dayle Steinberg, said in a statement:
The state health department “confirmed that abortion care is essential, and must remain so during this public health crisis.”
“While Planned Parenthood health centers across Pennsylvania continue to provide critical care during this pandemic crisis and work with our partner health care providers, we know that abortion cannot wait,” she added.
To ensure the health & safety of our all, PPKeystone has temporarily closed all of its health centers for family planning visits effective March 23, 2020. Download our PPDirect App to access sexual & reproductive health care. https://t.co/bFGCDuFw8A pic.twitter.com/TbBsPOEPnL
— Planned Parenthood Keystone (@PPKeystone) March 30, 2020
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The Pennsylvania Family Institute called on Gov. Tom Wolf (D) to also include elective abortions in the bans, and avoid the spread of the infection caused by COVID-19.
Back in 2018, Planned Parenthood announced it would spend $1.5 million to re-elect Wolf, who has been vetoing pro-life legislation.
Despite there being a shortage in protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers amid the pandemic, Lexi Stefani, communications and policy officer of the Family Institute, said:
"Every mask of similar PPE used in an elective abortion by Planned Parenthood could have been used by a doctor fighting the coronavirus.”
Stefani also wrote:
The reality is that Planned Parenthood is a business that exists to make money through abortions. And it’s big business for them in Pennsylvania, profiting from 15,000 abortions every year; half of the state’s annual total. Despite what they may say about abortion, only being a small part of what they do, it is revealing that in times of crisis, their clinics remain open only to provide elective abortions.
And despite the shortage of supplies, Planned Parenthood Keystone has been seeking “hand sanitizer, home-sewn masks, shoe covers, and surgical hats” to perform its elective abortions.
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement:
Wolf’s decision to allow elective abortions is “unconscionable” at a time “when all resources are needed for essential medical procedures.”
