Towanda, PA – Congressman Fred Keller presented Korean Ambassador of Peace Medals to 10 Korean War veterans and their families last Friday in Towanda, Bradford County, recognizing them for their service to our nation.

The Korean Ambassador of Peace Medal is an honor from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to veterans who served in the Korean War. The medal was first given by the Republic of Korea to American veterans who returned to South Korea but was later expanded to include those unable to travel.

Recipients of the medal included:

Patrick Leo Beirne – Marines, Cpl

Kenneth Edsell – Marines, Cpl

Glen Ellis Jr. – Navy, SN

Keith Spear Haight Sr. – Marines, GySgt

Earl Leroy Mayo – Army, Sgt (T)

Charles Francis Miller – Army, Sgt (T)

Silas Leo Mills Sr. – Army, Cpl

Edward Moritz – Army, Cpl

Carlton Thomas Repsher Jr. – Army, Cpl

George Frederick Webb – Air Force, AIC

Nicholas Williams – Navy, SN

As reported by Fox 56:

Roughly 1.8 million American troops helped South Korea for three years, including soldiers from Northeast Pennsylvania.

An emotional day for these veterans. Some honored today have passed away- their families here to accept their peace medals.

The Korean War is often called the forgotten war- because it was sandwiched in between World War II and the Vietnam War.

Navy seamen Nicholas Williams lives in Towanda now- he was just a teenager when he went to Korea. “It feels great. We never had nothing from Korea. We never even got recognized from Korea,” Williams said.

“When I was young my parents got divorced and I never got to thank him for his service and it’s just really special to be able to connect with people who served in Korea,” Keller said.

Harrisburg, PA – In the October 2020 report, Pennsylvania Department of Health nursing home surveyors conducted 396 inspections of 287 unique nursing homes, including 314 complaint investigations. Of these, 175 were COVID-19-specific compliant investigations. Three sanctions were finalized against nursing care facilities in the last month, including two provisional 1 licenses and the issuance of three civil penalties totaling $26,750.

“We know that congregate care settings, including nursing homes, have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Levine said. “That is why we remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians by continuing to hold nursing home operators accountable, as necessary, to ensure they are providing safe care. If you see something at a nursing home that doesn’t seem right, we encourage you to speak up.” 

Individuals with complaints about a nursing home can file that complaint with the department in several ways. Complaints can be made anonymously by calling 1-800-254-5164, filling out the online complaint form, emailing c-ncomplai@pa.gov or sending the complaint in the mail to the department.

The number of newly reported long-term care facility (LTCF) cases due to COVID-19 has again increased during the fall resurgence, as reflected in the LTCF graphs on the department’s LTCF data page.

The inspections include information on nursing home patient care and building inspections. If a facility is cited for not following regulations during the survey, it must submit a plan of correction that includes what will be done to fix the issue and a completion date. The department will conduct a surprise follow-up inspection to ensure the issue is resolved. Surveys are posted to the website 41 days after the survey is completed.

The Department of Health also conducts surveys on behalf of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). These surveys include federal certification and recertification, complaint surveys, building safety surveys and others.

The department also may issue a sanction. Possible sanctions include a civil penalty, a ban on admissions, a license being revoked, or a facility being put on a provisional license, which requires, among other things, being subject to additional inspections. A provisional license can be renewed no more than three times. The department can return the facility to a regular license if it is satisfied that all issues have been corrected and it is warranted.

The department maintains a searchable database, which allows the public to view patient care surveys, building safety surveys, size of the nursing home, type of ownership and additional information about each of the nursing homes in the state. The department oversees 692 nursing homes and more than 88,000 beds within nursing homes in Pennsylvania, in addition to other facilities, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, home care agencies and others.

The Wolf Administration has taken a three-pillar approach to protecting the vulnerable residents living in nursing homes and other long-term living settings from COVID-19:

• Ensuring resident safety through testing, education and resources;
• Preventing and mitigating outbreaks; and
• Working in partnership with state agencies, local health departments and long-term care facility operators.

More information regarding case information for all nursing homes, guidance provided to nursing homes, the orders in place, fact sheets and frequently asked questions documents to assist in regard to what is being done by the state to assist nursing homes can be found on the department’s COVID-19 nursing home page.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

Thirty seven (37) new cases added Saturday in Lycoming County remains at 1,300 cases, no new deaths, 32 total deaths, with 17,339 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19:

Highest Daily Increase of 5,551 Additional Positives Brings Statewide Total to 259,938

Pennsylvanians Urged to Download COVID Alert PA App

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 14, that there were 5,551 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 259,938. This is the highest daily increase of cases.

The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between November 7 and November 13 is 366,928 with 30,437 positive cases. There were 52,408 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 13.

As of 11:59 p.m., Friday, November 13, there were 50 new deaths reported for a total of 9,274 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 8,089 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 644 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 2,538,147 individuals who have tested negative to date. Of those who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Approximately 1% are ages 0-4;
• Approximately 2% are ages 5-12;
• Approximately 5% are ages 13-18;
• Approximately 13% are ages 19-24;
• Approximately 36% are ages 25-49;
• Approximately 21% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 20% are ages 65 or older.

There are 2,314 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 480 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The department has seen significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds. An alert was sent to healthcare providers about the changing COVID-19 case demographics. Increases among 19 to 24-year-olds from April to present in November are available below:

• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 20 percent of cases so far in November;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to nearly 14 percent of cases so far in November;
• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 11 percent of cases so far in November;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 11 percent of cases so far in November;
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 11 percent of cases so far in November; and
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 9 percent of cases so far in November.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 29,296 resident cases of COVID-19, and 6,074 cases among employees, for a total of 35,370 at 1,148 distinct facilities in 64 counties. Out of our total deaths, 6,059 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 13,403 of our total cases are among health care workers.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

Williamsport, PA – On November 12th, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette and NorthcentralPA highlighted a recent
Ad Hoc Committee Meeting of the City of Williamsport focused on addressing the long-term home of City Government.

In response to those articles, Councilman Adam Yoder, Chair of the City Hall Ad Hoc Committee, offered the following response.

“The City Hall Ad Hoc Committee was formed for two key reasons: first, to validate the true costs to bring City
Hall up to date in a variety of areas (including but not limited to accessibility infrastructure), and secondly to
explore any potential external options to house city government to ensure the most feasible and fiscally
responsible solution is obtained. One of the options that has been explored with backing by the Administration is
moving current City Hall functions over to Trade and Transit I, and exploring a Public Safety building for the
Police, Fire, Codes, and other regional partners. Yesterday’s article highlighted the committee’s most recent
meeting that included, but was not limited to, discussion on a potential move to Trade and Transit I. While this
scenario has progressed since the formation of this committee, many questions remain in regard to the validity of
this option including the impact to the Community Theatre League, and no decision was finalized in our most
recent meeting.”

Yoder continued, “Today, I was able to have a productive conversation with Mr. Sponhouse regarding the Ad
Hoc Committee’s efforts on addressing the long-term location of city government, and the impact of these efforts
to the Community Theatre League. I informed him of the remaining questions, listened to the concerns of the
Community Theatre League, and was able to affirm my commitment that this committee will work diligently to
ensure the Community Theatre League is kept abreast of the progress of this committee’s work as a whole, most
importantly the progression of this potential option to house city government.”

Yoder concluded, “Finally, I want to thank the Community Theatre League for their investment in the
Community and the work they do for the arts. We as a city and community are fortunate to have them.”

This is a developing story on Talkwilliamsport.com.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Saturday, November 14, a drive-thru and outdoor walk-up testing clinic will be held at the parking lot at the former Sayre K-Mart in Bradford County to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 1,188 cases in Bradford County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “This testing site will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The department has signed a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) to provide testing in communities in need across Pennsylvania. AMI has already deployed to Centre, Columbia, Indiana, Berks, Northumberland, Lebanon, Huntingdon and Westmoreland counties to perform community testing.

The department decides which counties to deploy testing based on the total number of confirmed cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 people as well as where outbreaks are happening, county population, and other metrics.

This week, Bradford has the 16th-highest percent-positivity in the state at 11.3 percent. This is down from a percent-positivity of 12.1 percent the previous week. The department believes that increased testing in the county will assist in determining the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward. Other concerning counties, identified as those with percent positives above 5 percent, can be found on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.

Testing will be available daily from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM starting Saturday, November 14 through Wednesday, November 18.

The address for Bradford County testing is the former K-Mart, 2900 Elmira St., Sayre, PA, 18840.

Up to 440 patients can be tested per day. Mid-nasal passage swab tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free to all patients regardless of residency. Patients must be ages three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID or insurance card. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.

Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await test results. Individuals who live with other people should self-quarantine in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Others living in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Sunday, November 15, a drive-thru and indoor testing clinic will be held at the Blair County Convention Center to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 1,825 cases in Blair County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “This testing site will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The department has signed a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) to provide testing in communities in need across Pennsylvania. AMI has already deployed to Centre, Columbia, Indiana, Berks, Northumberland, Lebanon, Huntingdon and Westmoreland counties to perform community testing.

The department decides which counties to deploy testing based on the total number of confirmed cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 people as well as where outbreaks are happening, county population, and other metrics.

This week, Blair has the 29th-highest percent-positivity in the state at 9.6 percent. This is up from a percent-positivity of 8.0 percent the previous week. The department believes that increased testing in the county will assist in determining the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward. Other concerning counties, identified as those with percent positives above 5 percent, can be found on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.

Testing in Blair County will be available daily from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the following days:

• Sunday, November 15;
• Monday, November 16;
• Tuesday, November 17;
• Wednesday, November 18;
• Thursday, November 19;
• Sunday, November 22;
• Monday, November 23; and
• Tuesday, November 24.

The address for testing is Blair County Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Drive, Altoona, PA, 16602.

Up to 440 patients can be tested per day. Mid-nasal passage swab tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free to all patients. Patients must be ages three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID or insurance card. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.

Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await test results. Individuals who live with other people should self-quarantine in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Others living in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Harrisburg, PA – As dedicated local elections officials continue to provide an accurate vote count, Governor Tom Wolf commended their efforts after the experts in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in a joint statement the nation’s election was secure and there was no evidence that voting systems were compromised.

“All Pennsylvanians can have confidence in our election system and the accuracy of the vote,” said Gov. Wolf. “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s conclusion that our nation had the most secure election in history reaffirms the commitment to protecting our votes by local, state and national officials.

“Allegations of fraud and unfounded rumors of illegal activity have been repeatedly debunked. Those deliberate and false attacks are un-American and harm our democracy, and we should reject them. I thank the election and cyber security experts for verifying that our nation’s election was protected and secure.”

A statement released yesterday by government and industry members of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinate Council said, “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Right now, across the country, election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result.”

The statement added, “While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too.”

The statement was released by members of Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Assistant Director Bob Kolasky, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chair Benjamin Hovland, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) President Maggie Toulouse Oliver, National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) President Lori Augino, and Escambia County (Florida) Supervisor of Elections David Stafford – and the members of the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) – Chair Brian Hancock (Unisyn Voting Solutions), Vice Chair Sam Derheimer (Hart InterCivic), Chris Wlaschin (Election Systems & Software), Ericka Haas (Electronic Registration Information Center), and Maria Bianchi (Democracy Works).

Gov. Wolf has made election security a priority since taking office. In July 2018, the governor created the Inter-Agency Election Preparedness and Security Workgroup to ensure Pennsylvania meets the highest standards of election preparedness and integrity and to coordinate election security. The agencies include the Department of State, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police and the offices of Administration, Governor, Homeland Security and State Inspector General.

The commonwealth also works with all 67 county boards of elections, the Pennsylvania National Guard, the Center for Internet Security and other key partners to maintain and enhance the security of Pennsylvania’s election process.  Pennsylvania uses a layered set of defenses to protect its voting systems, which are never connected to the internet nor permitted on internet-facing networks.

Before the Nov. 3 general election, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Pennsylvania Director of Homeland Security Marcus Brown also met with Pennsylvania’s three United States Attorneys and FBI agents from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to review security and preparations.

“Thanks to the hard work of state and local officials who proactively addressed security challenges, Pennsylvania had a safe and secure election,” Gov. Wolf said. “Our dedicated local election officials continue to work tirelessly to ensure an accurate vote count, and Pennsylvanians will not be deterred or distracted from ensuring that every voter’s voice is heard.”

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

Harrisburg, Pa. — Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar today reported that the canvass by counties of ballots cast in the Nov. 3 general election is nearing completion.

“We are extremely grateful to all 67 counties who have been working overtime and putting in an extraordinary effort to count every vote, with so far more than 6.8 million votes having been counted,” Secretary Boockvar said. “The counties continue to adjudicate and count the approximately 100,000 provisional ballots issued to voters at the polls on Election Day, as well as the more than 28,000 military and overseas ballots that were cast in this election.” 

Under state law, county boards of election must individually adjudicate each provisional ballot and assess whether they meet the standards for counting. The counties do so by verifying the voter was registered to vote in the precinct in which the ballot was cast, and that the voter did not cast a mail-in ballot prior to requesting the provisional ballot at the polling place.

Higher numbers of provisional ballots were cast this year due to new laws and procedures created pursuant to two bipartisan election reform measures, Act 77 of 2019 and Act 12 of 2020.

As of Friday midday, approximately 40,000 of the provisional ballots cast have been counted or partially counted, and these numbers will continue to climb over the next few days.

The department also reported that 28,529 military and overseas absentee ballots were cast. November 10 was the deadline for counties to receive uniformed and overseas civilian absentee (UOCAVA) ballots.

Based on the unofficial returns submitted by all the counties to the Department of State, Secretary Boockvar has determined that she will not be ordering a recount and recanvass of the election returns in the counties, as no statewide candidate was defeated by one-half of one percent or less of the votes cast.  This includes the following races: President of the United States, Attorney General, Auditor General, and State Treasurer.

Approximately 10,000 mail ballots that were cast on or before Nov. 3 were received by counties between 8 p.m. November 3 and 5 p.m. Nov. 6. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in September that counties should count mail ballots received through 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, if they are postmarked by 8 p.m. Election Day. The court also ruled that counties should count those ballots if there is an illegible or missing postmark, unless there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the ballot was mailed after Election Day deadline. These ballots are not of a sufficient number to impact the no-recount determination of any of the statewide races.

Up-to-date election returns showing votes cast as reported from each county can be found on the department’s voting website, votesPA.com. Additionally, the new dashboard at votesPA.com/Counting provides the numbers of mail and absentee ballots cast, counted, and remaining to be counted in each county; the in-person precincts counted; and provisional ballot counts.