WELLSBORO, PA (WENY) -- Tioga County Officials and the Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force held a press conference on Thursday, explaining why they want to move to the next phase, and why businesses are ready to reopen. 

"We do not have the authority to give permission for anyone to open up. But we understand and want to speak to the fact, they need to," says  Erick Coolidge, Tioga County Commissioner. 

County Officials say its time for businesses to open back up and get the economy where it needs to be.

"We have over 2 million people on unemployment, hundreds of thousands that have not received a dime, that's unacceptable. These people are hurting, these people are hungry, these people need hope and its time that Harrisburg realizes that, and they start to realize that things might be a little bit different in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Sullivan, McKean counties," says Rep. Clint Owlett.

The Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force was created 10 weeks ago, and they say they had to get to work quickly to lessen the curve. Jim Nobles, the chairman for the Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force says the task force has put together several different committees, bringing over 50 leaders in the business, banking, education and higher education together to discuss how they can keep the virus from spreading.

"The last 10 weeks we've kept our numbers in Tioga County very low. We've had 16 positive cases, and as of right now, according to PEMA, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association we have zero active cases. So we've done a very good job of lessening that curve and preventing the spread of the virus," says Jim Nobles, Chairman for Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force.

The task force along with the other agencies, say they are completely capable of coming up with a plan to get Tioga County to the green phase. 

Nobles added, "So now we also feel the task force and the other agencies that we've brought together are completely capable of coming up with a plan to get Tioga County to the green phase. So that we can begin to reopen some of these businesses that are also being affected by this horrific disease."

"What we've asked every business to do, is to submit to us in writing of what their plan will be if they were allowed to move to the green phase. I certainly believe the owner of a restaurant knows better on how to keep this virus at bay," says Nobles. 

Coolidge says last Friday, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania spoke to Governor Tom Wolf. The county says they're now sending a letter to Wolf.

"The presentation that took place today incorporated all of the efforts that we put forth to bring this county to where it is, in a very positive light. We'll put all of the information together shared by each presenter in the letter, that's promoted by the conversation we had last Friday, indicating that there were options maybe, and we're going to help give him something to look at for that consideration," says Coolidge.

Tioga County is hoping to move to the green phase as soon as next week.