• 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.

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 Northcentral PA, and leadership from DHS overseeing the RRHCs to discuss Geisinger’s work supporting facilities in Northcentral Pennsylvania and why the program must continue to be supported beyond the end of the year.

“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 long-term care facilities 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 their 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 serves 12 counties in Northcentral Pennsylvania. Since July, Geisinger has participated in 428 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 46 rapid response deployments across the Northcentral 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 RRHC is funded through Pennsylvania’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act award, the program is currently scheduled to end on December 30. The program was originally scheduled to end on December 1, but DHS is in the process of exercising its option to extend the agreements to 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.

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.

“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.”

For more information on guidance to DHS’ providers related to COVID-19, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Saturday, November 7, a drive-thru and indoor testing clinic will be held in the parking lot at the Hillcrest Shopping Center PNC Bank in Westmoreland County to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 2,998 cases in Westmoreland 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 and Huntingdon 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, Westmoreland has the 20th-highest percent-positivity in the state at 7.2 percent. This is down from a percent-positivity of 8.4 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 7 through Wednesday, November 11.

The address for Westmoreland County testing is PNC Bank, 300 Hillcrest Shopping Center, Lower Burrell, PA, 15068.

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”.

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

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced that the department has published a request for applications for entities to conduct collaborative research on COVID-19, focusing on the health impacts and novel treatments of the virus.

“The lessons learned from COVID-19 will inform public health for years, decades and centuries to come,” Dr. Levine said. “There continues to be much to learn about the COVID-19 virus, the health impacts of the virus, what treatments exist, and the usability of those treatments. We look forward to receiving a number of applications from Pennsylvania’s research institutions that are looking to conduct collaborative research to inform public health as we work to produce a healthy Pennsylvania for all.”

The Request for Applications opened on October 28,and the deadline for collaborative research is December 9. The grant work will begin on June 1, 2021 and end on May 31, 2025. Interested entities must submit a letter of intent as instructed.

The collaborative research must involve an applicant and one or more collaborating organizations that will coordinate to identify priorities and conduct research. Types of research allowed include biomedical research, clinical research and health services research.

The department anticipates approximately $10 million will be available to fund three collaborative research grants that are consistent with the priorities outlined.

Potential topics for research may include, but are not limited to:

• Research related to improving the knowledge of the genetic makeup of COVID-19 and associated viruses, like SARS-CoV-2;
• Research related to the population, behavioral, and mental health impacts of COVID-19; and
• Research related to vaccine development and testing to support public health through immunization.

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”.

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.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today advised Pennsylvanians to limit screen time and schedule an annual eye exam to protect eye health.

“With more access to technology and more digital learning and entertainment during COVID-19, we see Pennsylvanians, including our young learners, increasing their screen time,” Dr. Levine said. “To prevent eye strain, we encourage our young Pennsylvanians and working professionals to limit screen time by taking a break, spending time outdoors when able, staying hydrated and making an appointment for your annual eye exam. Vision is a gift and we need to protect our health and well-being as we adapt to changes in lifestyle.”

To avoid visual discomfort and eye strain from hours of remote learning or work, the Department of Health suggests:

• Positioning your electronic device at least an arm’s length away and a bit below your line of vision to protect vision as well as posture;
• Alternating your online consumption when able, like reading a physical book instead of e-book or listening to a video instead of watching it;
• Adjusting the brightness and contrast of your screen to your comfort level;
• Taking a break outdoors when possible to reduce progression of nearsightedness;
• Staying hydrated, eating well and getting adequate exercise;
• Blinking regularly to keep your eyes from feeling dry and tired; and

• Getting an annual eye exam.

“For students, this year’s back-to-school list may have looked different, but it is still important to receive an annual eye exam,” Dr. Levine said. “Having a child’s vision tested by an eyecare professional can help them towards greater success in the classroom, social development and better health across their lifespan. By maintaining your vision and eye health, an adult can protect themselves from risks of chronic health conditions, death, falls and injuries, social isolation, depression, and other psychological problems and even improve their sleep.”

For more information on eye and school health, visit the department’s website at www.health.pa.gov.