Pennsylvanians must unite against COVID

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf reminded Pennsylvanians that as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the state’s existing mitigation efforts remain in place and are more important than ever to understand and follow.

“The fall surge in cases is something we expected and were prepared for and we’ve learned a lot since the spring, but as I’ve said many times, the virus goes where it wants, we must do all that we can to ward it off and protect ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our health care systems,” Gov. Wolf said. “The current mitigation efforts and orders in place are more important than ever. We must unite against COVID and follow these orders.”

The following chart outlines current restrictions in place:

“Decisions are made based on ensuring all Pennsylvanians have access to health care, and never is it more important than those in need of treatment for COVID,” Gov. Wolf said. “Our hospitalizations continue to rise, but our system is not overwhelmed. We need to keep it that way.”

The state has learned a lot about the virus and the work Pennsylvania has done and continues to do in order to meet the needs in hospitals and long-term care facilities also includes providing new treatment drugs like Remdesivir, performing case investigations and contact tracing as necessary, increasing testing, and introducing tools such as the COVID Alert PA app available to notify people of COVID-19 exposures quickly.

Existing orders include:

• Building safety order: For business permitted to conduct in-person operations, this order provides for proper protocols for cleaning and disinfecting.
• Worker safety order: This order from the Secretary of Health requiring certain actions to be taken by employers and their employees to protect their health and lives, the health and lives of their families, and the health and lives of the residents of the Commonwealth who depend upon their services.
• Hospital reporting order: This order requires hospitals to make daily reports of specified data regarding supplies and equipment and an amendment to that order that changed reporting from three times per day to one time per day.
• Hospital safety order: This order requires hospitals to implement measures to protect hospital staff and patients, including notifications for all staff when a staff member is positive, and proper provisions for PPE.
• Universal testing order: This was put in place to ensure testing of all residents and staff of long-term care facilities in the state.
• Long term care facilities personal protective equipment order: This order worked to ensure that all staff and residents of long-term care facilities has proper PPE and protections in place.
• Mask wearing order: This order defines a “face covering,” how to wear one, and when one must be worn.
• July 15 targeted mitigation order: This order placed restrictions on bars, restaurants, social clubs and indoor gatherings to help stop the spread of COVID after multiple research studies noted an increase in cases from these types of businesses.

The Wolf Administration supports local officials who choose to maintain additional restrictions. The following counties are under additional local restrictions: Philadelphia.

“As Pennsylvania continues to see cases rise each day, we remain vigilant in our efforts to protect Pennsylvanians by making testing widely available and encouraging mitigation efforts that we know to be effective,” Gov. Wolf said. “I ask that all Pennsylvanians follow these orders and look out for one another so we can stop the spread.”

Visit pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/ or the Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus pages for more information.

TalkWilliamsport.com reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Health for clarity on the explosive rise in positive cases and how they are being counted.

Nate Wardle, Press Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health provided the following response to TalkWilliamsport.com:

“When someone tests positive for COVID-19, it is possible they may live in a household with other people. If, during the case investigation and contact tracing process, it is learned that other people in the household have COVID-19 symptoms, they would be considered a probable case.

There are a few probable case definitions. One is for people who have a positive antigen test and symptoms, another, the one applicable in this instance, is as follows from the CDC:

•            A person meeting clinical criteria AND epidemiologic evidence with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19;

So, this would mean they have symptoms (clinical criteria) and close contact exposure (epidemiological evidence) to COVID-19, which would make them a probable case.

This is not inflating the numbers or deceiving the numbers. It is part of the CDC’s case definition as a way to identify cases.

It is important to note, probable cases make up 6 percent of the total number of cases. More than half of these probable cases are the result of a positive antigen test. With how new antigen testing is, we expect the percentage of probable cases that is from a positive antigen test to only increase as we move forward.”

This is a developing story on TalkWilliamsport.com.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today shared its weekly update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data and encouraged Pennsylvanians to download the COVID Alert PA app to aid in contact tracing efforts.

“As we are experiencing a large surge in cases across the state, the public health infrastructure we continue to build is prioritizing case investigations in order to prevent outbreaks from occurring,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please answer the call from the health professional conducting a case review. If you were a close contact of someone, please answer the call. By answering the call, you are helping our health professionals mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities to further protect our neighbors and loved ones.”

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying, and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who has COVID-19 while that individual was infectious. The contact tracing process is not possible without a case investigation, or review, by a public health professional. Case investigators make the initial call to those with positive COVID-19 test results.

During the case investigation, public health professionals spend 30 to 60 minutes asking questions to ensure all potential close contacts are identified. They collect information about with whom the individual came in contact and where the individual went while infectious. Information collected during the case investigation process is not shared publicly unless doing so would help the department in its efforts to stop the spread on a broader scale.

Between Sunday, November 1 and Saturday, November 7, there were 20,985 COVID-19 cases statewide and 25 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 24 hours of receiving the positive report. Public health professionals will continue calling to complete the case investigation after the 24-hour period. An additional 9 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 48 hours.

After the initial case investigation is complete, contact tracing begins. Within the same time period of November 1 to November 7, there were 1,672 contact tracing staff working with local and county health entities, partner organizations and the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program within the Department of Human Services as well as volunteers from Co-County Wellness in Berks County and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Currently, all of the allotted 1,000 people have been hired through a partnership with Insight Global. Some of these contact tracers have been promoted to perform case investigations to meet the immediate needs of increased caseloads. There are 40 supervisors, 12 regional field managers and coordinators, and 10 care coordinators who will help to refer Pennsylvanians to services during quarantine across the commonwealth.

These staff monitored 8,395 contacts who were identified during the case investigations.

On September 22, the department launched COVID Alert PA, a free mobile app that uses Bluetooth technology to let a person know that they have been exposed to COVID-19 without compromising the identity or location of either the person using the app, or of the person to whom they may have been exposed. There have been over 485,000 downloads thus far, and on average—36,000 individuals are logging their symptoms on a daily basis

The mobile app helps the contact tracing process by identifying and notifying those people identified as close contacts through Bluetooth technology when a person with COVID-19 does not know or remember everyone with whom they may have come in contact while infectious; for example, someone they sat next to on a bus. To best support those close contacts identified through the app, there are contact tracers specifically assigned to answer questions about the app.

As the contact tracing program expands, the Department of Health continues to work in partnership with over 150 organizations, in addition to the county and municipal health departments, through regional partnerships to help gather and answer questions, identify problems and find solutions to improve contact tracing efforts within the region. Each regional partnership has met at least once, and includes public health staff, health providers, academic institutions, community organizations, and other stakeholders interested in helping to coordinate and engage around contact tracing efforts.

Organizations and entities interested in partnering in these efforts should reach out to RA-DHCONTACTTRACING@pa.gov.

You can find more information on the state’s contact tracing efforts and all available contact tracing positions at the Department of Health’s website here.

Pennsylvanians are reminded that mask-wearing is required when visiting businesses or in any setting outside the home where social distancing is difficult. Remember: My mask protects you; your mask protects me.

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.

• 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 – The Pennsylvania Council on Aging (PCoA) today released an interactive guide with information and resources to help older adults cultivate a healthy mind, body and spirit amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guide, titled “SOLO: Strengthening Older Lives Online,” was produced by PCoA’s Risk Reduction Committee, which is made up of older adults and was formed in response to the council’s State of Older Adults Report in May. The committee is an extension of the Social Isolation Task Force, formed in 2019 to help mitigate social isolation among seniors.

“Social isolation is a problem that we already knew existed among seniors and became more of an urgent concern during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Social Isolation Task Force Chair Janice Cameron. “The challenges we’ve faced also gave us an opportunity to focus on social isolation and what aging Pennsylvanians are experiencing and develop real ways to help combat it. The SOLO guide is a user-friendly self-empowering tool for older adults to be shared among their peers as a means of preventing social isolation.”

The SOLO guide is designed to go beyond some of the physical safety reminders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using bold, color graphics, the guide incorporates ways for aging adults to combat some of the pervasive stressors exacerbated by the pandemic while helping them live their best lives.

Tools available in the guide include:

• Activities & videos to help stay mentally, spiritually, and physically fit
• Resources available to assist with those three areas
• Short questionnaires to build active health plans

Members of the Risk Reduction Committee have developed a training module that accompanies the guide in order to introduce it into communities of seniors in peer-led ways. The committee hopes it will help reduce instances of social isolation by informing older adults about some habits they can practice to prevent it in their lives.

“The Department of Aging is proud of the work of the Risk Reduction Committee, Social Isolation Task Force and PCoA. It’s a true commitment for older Pennsylvanians to be members of these groups and provide us with real input on experiences of seniors,” Secretary of Aging Robert Torres said. “The SOLO health and wellness guide was created by older adults for older adults. It is a great way to empower and support one another, as well as improve physical, mental, and spiritual health.” 

“As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand this time may be difficult for Pennsylvanians in more ways than one,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Mitigation efforts are necessary to save lives, but can be accompanied by loneliness, social isolation and a general sense of uncertainty. This interactive guide is another tool that can be used to improve the health and well-being of older adults across the state. It is essential that we provide the proper resources to older Pennsylvanians so they can learn ways to cope with the stresses that come with the pandemic.”

The interactive health and wellness guide is available in English here and in Spanish here.

The Pennsylvania Council on Aging serves as an advocate for older individuals and advises the Governor and the Department of Aging on planning, coordination, and delivery of services to older individuals. The council’s 21 volunteer members, the majority of whom are required to be age 60 or older, are nominated by the Governor and approved by the Senate. Members of the council also serve as chairpersons for five regional councils totaling 65 volunteers, which meet quarterly. These regional councils gather information and insights on local needs and service delivery and report their findings to the council. They also serve as resources for research and community outreach efforts.

Learn more about the various programs offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging here.

Secretary of Human Services Teresa Miller answers questions from the press.Governor Tom Wolf announced that people with intellectual disabilities and autism and the providers of support services for these vulnerable Pennsylvanians will receive $260 million in CARES Act funding to help continue to provide services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Wolf was joined by Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, who outlined to details of funding allocations. JUNE 15, 2020 – HARRISBURG, PA

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today discussed support the Wolf Administration is providing for long-term care facilities through the Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) program, a statewide program providing clinical, operational, and educational support to long-term care facilities preparing for or facing outbreaks of COVID-19 at their facility. Secretary Miller was joined by Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nurse executive at Geisinger, who leads the Geisinger RRHC in Northeast PA and leadership from DHS and the Department of Health overseeing the RRHCs to discuss the RRHCs work supporting facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania and why the program must continue to be supported in 2021.

The RRHC is funded through Pennsylvania’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act award, which lapses on December 30. The Wolf administration is working with the Pennsylvania General Assembly to expand the array of facilities that the RRHCs can help and to advocate for greater support at the federal level to continue the program into 2021.

The Wolf administration recently sent a letter to President Trump requesting funding to extend the program so it may continue to be a resource throughout the winter. Governor Wolf urged President Trump to work with Congress on a new stimulus package that would support the RRHC program and other resources crucial to protecting the lives, health and safety of Pennsylvanians. The Wolf administration will continue to advocate for additional funding to continue this program no matter the results of the presidential election.

“We know how dangerous COVID-19 can be in congregate care settings, particularly in settings that serve people who are medically fragile or have other health vulnerabilities that make them more likely to experience additional complications from COVID-19, as often is the case for residents of long-term care facilities,” said Secretary Miller. “The unfortunate reality of this pandemic is that outbreaks can and will happen because these facilities and their staff cannot exist in a bubble. What matters most is how we catch and respond to outbreaks when they occur, and the RRHC program is strengthening our response at the state level and making local facilities better equipped to respond. This collaborative approach is saving lives.” 

“The Department of Health is pleased with the RRHCs’ work to assist in ensuring facilities have the resources they need to respond to COVID-19 in these vulnerable settings,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “As we are in the midst of a fall resurgence, the RRHCs will become even more important. The introduction of COVID-19 into a long-term care facility is a reflection of the number of cases in the community, which is why all Pennsylvanians have a role in helping protect these facilities.”

Pennsylvania’s long-term care system serves more than 127,000 people living in nursing homes, personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities. Due to the congregate nature and because they often serve individuals who are older or have co-occurring medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to an acute case of or complications from COVID-19, constant vigilance is necessary to avoid a serious outbreak at these facilities.

The RRHC program was designed to bolster Pennsylvania’s support for long-term care facilities and their residents and staff. Launched in late July, the RRHC program was established to provide clinical support, technical assistance, and education to long-term care facilities as they work to prevent and mitigate spread of COVID-19. The RRHCs are available 24/7 to support the nearly 2,000 nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities in Pennsylvania and the residents they serve. Eleven health systems were selected to serve six regions across Pennsylvania.

Each RRHC is required to make a minimum of two on-site visits to each facility in their region, including an initial on-site assessment that will help the RRHC evaluate a facility’s COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies and their preparedness to respond to an outbreak if that were to occur. Based on this assessment, the RRHCs will help those facilities implement best practices in infection control, implement contact tracing programs in facilities, support clinical care through on-site and telemedicine services, and provide remote monitoring and consultation with physicians. RRHCs are in regular communication with DHS, the Department of Health (DOH), and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) to report on experiences interacting with facilities, trends experienced by facilities, and potential challenges.

When a RRHC engages with a facility or is called in to help with a concern identified from collaboration between DHS, DOH and PEMA daily calls, these efforts are classified as missions. A mission could be anything from assistance with testing, assessing a facility’s preparedness, staffing support, rapid response deployment to facilities, PPE support, testing to ensure PPE is properly fitted, and questions or concerns requiring consultation. Since launching, the RRHCs have been assigned more than 8,000 missions, primarily covering testing, consultations, facility assessments, and support with PPE. The RRHCs are also working with the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to operate a statewide learning network available to all long-term care facilities. This network holds regular webinars on topics related to infection control and the latest guidance for responding to and mitigating spread of COVID-19. These webinars have reached nearly 5,800 participants since the start of the RRHC program.

The administration can also deploy rapid response teams staffed by the RRHCs when an outbreak is suspected or confirmed at a long-term care facility. These rapid response teams consist of clinical and infection control professionals from the RRHCs to evaluate the situation, ensure proper cohorting of patients based off COVID status, facilitate resident transfers and additional staffing if necessary, and coordinate safe continued care for residents who are not COVID-positive. The rapid response teams can also provide emotional support to both residents or staff to help with the stress and fear associated with an outbreak. Rapid response teams are designed to stabilize potential or confirmed outbreaks, and assistance from RRHCs is not withdrawn until the situation is stabilized and there is no immediate risk to staff and residents.

Geisinger and Lehigh Valley Health Network work in partnership to serve 10 counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. Since July, the Northeast Pennsylvania RRHCs have participated in 960 missions covering facility assessments, testing assistance, PPE support and fit testing, training and consultation, and staffing assistance, among others. The health systems have assisted with 34 rapid response deployments across the Northeast Region.

“Our primary goal when we visit a facility is to mitigate the COVID spread and the best way to do that is to work closely with the leaders of the facility,” said Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nursing executive, Geisinger. “Our goal is to create a collaborative relationship with these facilities and help put into place infection prevention and control practices to keep their residents and staff safe during these challenging times.”

“The last eight months have been a period of great learning. We’re now at a point where we have a system that is working and helping to stabilize and prevent outbreaks. As the country works to get a vaccine that is effective in market and available, we need to do all we can to protect people who are most vulnerable to this virus,” said Secretary Miller. “The RRHC program cannot stop COVID altogether, but it is undoubtedly making us better at fighting it. We cannot lose this resource.”

More information on the RRHC Program, including a breakdown of missions, can be found here. For more information on guidance to DHS’ providers related to COVID-19, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

Forty one (41) new cases added Sunday and Monday in Lycoming County remains at 1,341 cases, one new death and 33 total deaths, with 17,511 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19:

2,440 Patients Hospitalized and 531 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 16, that there were 4,476 new cases, in addition to 5,199 new cases reported Sunday, November 15 for a two-day total of 9,675 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 269,613.

There are 2,440 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 531 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.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of November 6 – November 12 stood at 9.6%.

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 9 and November 15 is 366,285 with 35,355 positive cases. There were 43,106 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 13 and 60,982 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 14.

As of 11:59 p.m., Saturday November 14, there were 38 new deaths and as of 11:59 p.m., Sunday November 15, there were 13 new deaths reported for a total of 9,325 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 8,655 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 2,573,621 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
• Nearly 20% are ages 65 or older.

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 approximately 19 percent of cases so far in November;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to approximately 13 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 nearly 11 percent of cases so far in November;
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 9 percent of cases so far in November; and
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 11 percent of cases so far in November.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 29,774 resident cases of COVID-19, and 6,141 cases among employees, for a total of 35,915 at 1,158 distinct facilities in 63 counties. Out of our total deaths, 6,070 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 13,527 of our total cases are among health care workers.
 

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, Nov. 15:
 

• Provided Pennsylvania State Police enforcement data.

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.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, highlighting  a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases, statewide percent positivity of 9.6%, and a concerning 59 counties with substantial transmission status.

The update includes the following:

• Level of community transmission as a basis for the recommendations for Pre-K to 12 schools to determine instructional models.
• Data on cases among 5-18-year-olds.
• Cases that reported visiting a business among potential locations where exposures may have occurred.
• Updated travel recommendations.

The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts. The data available on the early warning monitoring dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent-positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19. This week’s update compares the period of November 6 – November 12 to the previous seven days, October 30 – November 5.

“The significant increase in cases and percent positivity across much of the state is cause for concern,” Gov. Wolf said. “We need all Pennsylvanians to take a stand and answer the call to protect one another. We need Pennsylvanians to be united in wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding gatherings. It is only by working together that Pennsylvanians can prevent the spread of the virus.”

As of Thursday, November 12, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases; the previous seven-day increase was 16,646 cases, indicating 9,569 more new cases across the state over the past week compared to the previous week.

The statewide percent-positivity went up to 9.6% from 6.8% last week. Every county in the state has a concerning percent positivity above five percent except the following counties: Forest (1.8%); Cameron (2.1%); Union (3.2%), Wayne (3.7%) and Susquehanna (4.6).

“This week’s data, in terms of case increase, percent positivity and other factors is concerning,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. We know COVID-19 does not discriminate. It is affecting all Pennsylvanians, no matter your race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status or whether you live a rural, suburban or urban area. We need all Pennsylvanians to take the steps they can take to protect one another.”

Community Transmission
As of Friday’s data, Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties were in the substantial level of community transmission. The departments of Education and Health will speak with school district representatives in these counties to discuss the implications of this level of transmission.

For the week ending November 12, three counties were in the low level of transmission, five counties in the moderate level, with 59 with substantial transmission:

• Low – Cameron, Forest, Sullivan
• Moderate – Fayette, Pike, Susquehanna, Warren, Wayne
• Substantial – Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York

Cases Among 5-18-Year-Olds
The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of statewide cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been 19,805 total cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds. Of that total, 3,198 occurred between November 6 – November 12. For the week of October 30 – November 5, there were 2,077 cases of COVID-19 among 5 to 18-year-olds.

Cases by demographic group is available on the DOH website.

Business Visits
The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of individuals who responded to case investigators that they spent time at business establishments (restaurants, bars, gym/fitness centers, salon/barbershops) and at mass gatherings 14 days prior to the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases reported between November 1 and November 7, 16 percent (3,327) provided an answer to the question as to whether they spent time at a business establishment.

Of those who did provide an answer, 16 percent, or 535, answered yes, they visited a business establishment 14 days prior to onset of symptoms:

• 53 percent (284) of those who said yes reported going to a restaurant;
• 26 percent (140) of those who said yes reported going to some other business establishment;
• 12.5 percent (67) of those who said yes reported going to a bar;
• 11 percent (60) of those who said yes reported going to a gym/fitness center; and
• 7 percent (39) of those who said yes reported going to a salon/barbershop.

Of the 20,985 confirmed cases, 16 percent (3,335) answered the question as to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event. Of the 16 percent, 18.4 percent (615) answered yes to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.

Compared to data reported on November 9, this week’s data saw a decrease for people who reported going to a restaurant (53 percent vs. 55 percent last week), going to a gym/fitness center (11 percent vs. 12 percent last week), going to a salon/barbershop (7 percent vs. 8 percent last week), and going to a bar (12.5 percent vs. 13 percent last week). Numbers remained the same for those going to some other business (26 percent vs. 26 percent last week. The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event decreased slightly to 18.4 percent from 19 percent last week.

The numbers above highlight business settings and mass gatherings as possible sites for transmission. With less than half of those asked about what types of businesses they visited or if they attended a mass gathering responding to the question, the department is reminding Pennsylvanians that it is essential that people answer the phone when case investigators call and to provide full and complete information to these clinical professionals.

Travel Recommendations
Also today, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, adding Virginia to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. In addition, the state added two neighboring states (Delaware and Maryland) to a list of bordering states in which non-essential travel is highly discouraged.

It is important that people understand that this recommendation is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A concerning number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that involves quarantining.

Gov. Wolf continues to prioritize the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians through the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvanians should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regardless of in what county they live. This includes wearing a mask or face covering anytime they are in public. COVID-19 has been shown to spread easily in the air and contagious carriers can be asymptomatic.

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.