Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced the federal government will be distributing monoclonal antibodies to healthcare systems throughout the commonwealth. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins built in a laboratory that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens, like the COVID-19 virus.

“The department will determine which healthcare systems receive allocations based upon county case counts,” Dr. Levine said. “Then, the federal government will distribute the antibodies to the respective healthcare systems to further help communities struggling with the spread of COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies may provide short term protection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus for appropriate COVID-19 patients.”

The healthcare partners who receive the monoclonal antibodies will then ensure that patients who meet the criteria will be able to receive this treatment in a range of different distribution settings. Health care systems will determine eligibility for the antibodies based upon the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) guidelines.

The for the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy, bamlanivimab, for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients. Bamlanivimab is specifically directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, designed to block the virus’s attachment and entry into human cells. Bamlanivimab is not authorized for the patients who are hospitalized or require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19.

For the latest information on COVID-19, visit health.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 – The Department of Human Services (DHS) today recognized those who help children and youth achieve permanent homes. The Wolf Administration is committed to supporting and advocating on behalf of children and youth in the foster care system.

DHS will receive $5,885,500 in Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for its improved performance in helping children and youth in foster care find permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship. These funds will be used to further increase awareness of and provide services to families interested in adopting a child from foster care.

“All children deserve the opportunity to live and grow at home with a supportive family, and in many cases, adoption is the best chance for children and youth to achieve a healthy and happy life. That’s why I’m especially proud to recognize Adoption Awareness Month,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “DHS works every day to help Pennsylvania’s children and youth find their forever homes. There is still a need for permanent, loving homes for children in this commonwealth, so I encourage anyone who can offer a loving and nurturing home to children and youth as permanent or foster parents to reach out. You can offer a child a brighter future.”

The Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), administered by DHS’ Office of Children Youth and Families, helps match children in need of adoption with potential families. SWAN brings together state, county, and private agencies to coordinate permanency-related services for children and post-permanency services to families. Since SWAN began in 1992, there have been more than 51,000 adoptions in Pennsylvania. Currently, Pennsylvania has 14,400 children in foster care and 3,094 with a goal of adoption. In 2019, 2,722 children and youth were successfully adopted – the most adoptions to occur in Pennsylvania in a given year.

Secretary Miller also hosted the 28th Annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference, which was held virtually due to COVID-19 precautions. The annual conference is attended by child welfare professionals, current and prospective foster or adoptive families, kinship care providers, and others with a vested interest in ensuring children have safe, permanent and loving homes.

The permanency conference is designed to:

• Train participants on how to prepare children and their families for their journey towards permanency;
• Educate and support all those involved in finding permanent homes for Pennsylvania’s foster children; and
• Provide an opportunity for children to be matched with prospective foster and adoptive families.

The conference traditionally includes an awards ceremony to recognize those who help children and youth achieve permanent homes. This year’s virtual awards ceremony honorees include:

Permanent Family Recognition Award

Families selected have provided legalized permanency for a child or children involved in the child welfare system:

• Ian & Amanda Ferree, Westmoreland County
• George & Charlotte Beatty, Allegheny County
• Ruth Ann Esh, Lancaster County
• Robert and Darren Girardeau, Chester County
• Kelvin Johnson, Philadelphia County
• Jackson Duncan, Philadelphia County

Permanency Teamwork Recognition

Teams nominated for this award exemplify a collaborative effort that promotes permanency for children with special needs:

• Lauren Howard, Berks County Children and Youth Services
• Erin Oshansky, Diakon
• Patti Menow, Diakon
• Dr. Allison Hill, Berks Counseling Associates

Philanthropy Recognition

The individual and organization selected demonstrates a significant charitable commitment that promotes the permanency of children in foster care:

• Amy Gambler, Little Brown Suitcase Ministries

Permanency Advocate Recognition

This award recognizes a dynamic individual who demonstrates a commitment to building cooperative relationships to expedite the permanency process:

• Rene Hensley Williams

Independent Living Professional Recognition

The individual selected for this award has demonstrated that they have helped youth transition into becoming successful contributing members of society:

• Lindsey Glezen, Lackawanna County Children and Youth Services

Permanency Professional Recognition

Individuals selected to receive this award are permanency professionals working in a public or private child welfare agency:

• Ashley Allen, Chester County Department of Children and Families

Youth Advocate Recognition

The individual nominated for this award is a current or former foster youth who has raised awareness on behalf of themselves and/or their peers about the challenges of foster care:

• Clishon “CiCi” Griffin, Achieving Independence Center (AIC) Member

To learn how to begin the adoption process and what to expect as you become a foster parent or adoptive parent, go to www.adoptpakids.org, call 1-800-585-SWAN, or follow SWAN on Facebook.

Penn College esports coach assesses first full season

“Amazing.”

That’s how Joshua Young, Pennsylvania College of Technology esports coach, described the college’s recently completed first full season of competition in the National Association for Collegiate Esports.

“We started our first varsity season by competing in one of the top leagues (in NACE). Our teams learned to have confidence in themselves and the team because we were competitive against large traditional sports schools like the University of Michigan, Boise State and Mizzou,” Young said.

“Our main goal was to build the program for a successful future. We competed in Overwatch, Rocket League and Valorant in the NACE Fall Cup. We finished the season exceeding all expectations with our Overwatch and Valorant teams making the postseason, making that two out of our four teams making the playoffs,” Young said.

The coach then detailed the season, saying:

Overwatch

“The NACE Overwatch Fall Cup was comprised of 85 teams from National Junior College Athletic Association to NCAA Division I schools all across the United States and several Canadian teams. The season started out rough with three straight losses but turned it around with a victory against Lakeland University, where former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green is head coach. (We) finished the regular season 6-4 to secure one of 32 spots in the postseason. The team (managed by sophomore Jared Patten, of South Abington Township) was matched up in the round of 32 against Southeastern University Black, which was undefeated in the regular season. (We) came up short in the match but finished 17th overall.

“(We) now have moved onto the TESPA (formerly Texas eSports Association) qualifiers for the collegiate championship, which will start in February.

Rocket League

“The NACE Rocket League Fall Cup was comprised of 123 teams, broken into 12 groups where the top three from each group made the playoffs. We fielded two teams with our ‘A’ team finishing 4-6 and the ‘B’ team 0-9. Our teams (managed by Logan Readinger, of Oley) are regrouping and playing in the PlayVS National League Fall tournament for the remainder of the fall.

Valorant

“The NACE Valorant Fall Cup was comprised of 78 teams. Valorant is a new game we added to the fall season, so we were not sure at our level of competition. (We) started out with a loss to Full Sail University, but then won out the last four games of the shortened season to make the playoffs. Our team (managed by sophomore Drew Thomas, of State College) matched up against Lebanon Valley College for the first round of the playoffs. It was a highly contested match, but ultimately our Wildcats could not keep up and finished the season 17th. (We) will continue to

build for the future and look for additional leagues and tournaments to enter for the remainder of the academic year.”

With the NACE fall season over, Young said, in addition to the Overwatch and Rocket League teams, the League of Legends team, managed by David Feldman, of Westminster, Maryland, has begun its season in the Collegiate StarLeague. The NACE spring season will see Penn College competing in EA Sports titles, Hearthstone and Fortnite.

“We will build off the confidence and success of the fall season to make it to that next level. Our quick, growing success has fueled our student-athletes to focus on training, dedicated to building the best compositions and strategies, and they have increased team activities like VOD review and team study halls. Building relationships with the team members outside the game will allow us to build on this success to make us championship contenders in our game titles,” Young said.

“I am proud of the accomplishments we obtained while dealing with the pandemic. It far exceeded our expectations, and our teams now know that Penn College can compete in the top levels of esports. I hope that we can continue this success and maintain our teams in the top 25 for the rest of the academic year,” Young added.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today encouraged Pennsylvanians to be aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes and practice a healthy lifestyle that includes regular appointments with your health care provider to reduce the risk of developing this disease. Individuals with type 2 diabetes, of any age, are more likely to have serious complications from COVID-19; diabetes is the third most common comorbidity reported in Pennsylvania COVID-19 deaths.

“Diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal,” Dr. Levine said. “Diabetes must be managed effectively. If not, this disease can lead to a number of serious health conditions, including adult blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputations. In 2019, almost 29,400 people were hospitalized in Pennsylvania for a diabetes-related health issue. It’s especially important for people to learn more about diabetes now because the disease can be a cause for further complications from COVID-19.”

Eleven percent of adults in Pennsylvania have diabetes and a significant number of those are not aware of it, which greatly increases their health risk. One in three adults has pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but are not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. This means that almost half of all Pennsylvanians either have diabetes or are at significant risk of developing diabetes. Individuals with diabetes are encouraged to talk to their primary care physician about participating in a diabetes self-management education and support program to learn how to better manage their disease.

People can develop diabetes because the pancreas produces little or no insulin, or because insulin is not used properly.  There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a disease of the immune system, and typically starts out during the childhood and young adult years. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin daily.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease in adults. Type 2 diabetes typically begins when insulin is not used properly. Over time, the pancreas becomes unable to produce enough insulin. Managing type 2 diabetes requires maintaining a healthy weight, making healthy food choices and getting regular physical activity.

The best way to prevent developing type 2 diabetes is to regularly see a primary care provider and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is a screening tool developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that allows individuals to determine if they have prediabetes.  Individuals with prediabetes are encouraged to enroll in and attend a Diabetes Prevention Program, where they will learn how to eat healthy, add physical activity to their daily life and deal with stress.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst and urination;
• Unexplained weight loss;
• Blurred vision; and
• Feeling tired all the time.

High blood pressure or elevated cholesterol is also associated with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in certain racial and ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians.

More information on diabetes can be found on the Department of Health’s website at health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf issued the following statement on House Resolution 1100 introduced by House Republicans that would allow partisan Harrisburg politicians to interfere in the efforts of election professionals to provide a reliable and trustworthy audit of the 2020 general election.

“HR 1100 allows partisan politicians in the legislature to audit their own election, a process that has been and should continue to be performed by non-partisan state and county election workers. The Legislative Budget Finance Committee has no expertise or role in election administration and no statutory authority outside the fiscal realm, and it is inappropriate to pretend it does. An audit by the LBFC would be incomplete, duplicative and unreliable. Instead of the House Republicans interfering in an existing and trustworthy audit process, especially when they were on the ballot, they should allow the non-partisan experts to do their job. That is the best way to ensure the public can have faith in the audit results.

“A legislative audit is unnecessary and duplicative because post-election audits are standard practice for the administration. Not only will the counties perform an audit as required by law, but under the Wolf Administration, the commonwealth became one of the first states in the nation to pioneer pilots of the risk-limiting audit in partnership with leading, non-partisan election experts. The scientifically designed procedure uses statistical methods to confirm whether reported election outcomes are correct and to detect possible interference. As occurred in the primary, work on auditing the Nov. 3 election has started and at least 26 counties are completing the first phase of the pilot.

“Pennsylvania’s local election workers are the heroes of our democracy. They have been working tirelessly to count every vote, certify the results and perform an audit as the governor prepares to submit the commonwealth’s slate of electors to the federal government based on the popular vote. Interference by partisan legislators in Harrisburg is wrong. It creates chaos and confusion and should be rejected. A reliable audit conducted by election experts is the best way for all Pennsylvanians to trust the results of this election.”

Seventy (70) new cases added Thursday in Lycoming County now at 1,533 cases, one new death, 34 total deaths, with 17,923 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19:

2,904 Patients Hospitalized and 628 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Highest Daily Increase of 7,126 Additional Positive Cases of COVID-19

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 19, that there were 7,126 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 288,978. This is the highest daily increase of cases.

There are 2,904 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 628 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 trend in the 14-day moving average of number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 1,700 since the end of September.

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 12 and November 18 is 389,594 with 38,484 positive cases. There were 55,713 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 18.

As of 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, November 18, there were 116 new deaths reported for a total of 9,581 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 10,594 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 643 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 2,629,527 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;
• Nearly 3% are ages 5-12;
• Approximately 5% are ages 13-18;
• Approximately 13% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 37% 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 17 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 approximately 8 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 30,786 resident cases of COVID-19, and 6,265 cases among employees, for a total of 36,589 at 1,184 distinct facilities in 63 counties. Out of our total deaths, 6,169 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 13,786 of our total cases are among health care workers.
 

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, Nov. 18:
 

• Announced with regional coalition of NE governors recommendations for college students and the holidays.
• Announced that more than 500,000 have downloaded the COVID Alert PA app.
• Provided update on testing and contact tracing.
• 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 – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller today reminded Pennsylvanians to take advantage of food assistance programs and Thanksgiving baskets from local organizations to fill gaps in their holiday meal plans.

“No one should go without this holiday season. In a year like 2020, we all need the comfort of tradition,” said Agriculture Secretary Redding. “Pennsylvania’s food assistance programs were built for times like these and no one should be too shy to take advantage of what they have to offer.“

And, by using vouchers for programs like the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to purchase fruits and vegetables to complement your turkey, you’re supporting your neighborhood farmers who have worked harder than ever to provide for Pennsylvania this year,” added Redding.

Pennsylvanians looking for a turkey, side dishes, or ingredients to make their family favorites and keep traditions alive amid the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to take advantage of the following options:

• Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Vouchers – seniors and WIC participants with vouchers from the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program are encouraged to redeem them at a participating farmers market or farm stand for Pennsylvania-produced fresh fruits and vegetables. In-season products such as apples, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, turnips, brussels sprouts and more are the perfect complement to a Thanksgiving meal. FMNP vouchers issued in 2020 expire November 30, 2020.
• SNAP – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps Pennsylvanians purchase fresh food and groceries for recipients, helping families with limited or strained resources be able to keep food on the table while meeting other bills and needs. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania joined a pilot program from the federal government allowing SNAP recipients to purchase food online through certain approved retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Shoprite. Pennsylvanians can apply for SNAP at any time online at www.compass.state.pa.us.
• PA211.org – use this resource to search for Thanksgiving baskets or find a local organization distributing holiday food packages
• Find a turkey – many local food banks, food pantries, and other emergency feeding organizations provide turkeys or vouchers for turkeys and ingredients for a traditional holiday meal. Find local emergency feeding organizations online.

”Food can be a source of comfort, community, and celebration, and as we celebrate the holiday season safely within our households, we want to be sure that no Pennsylvanian is going hungry this holiday season,” said DHS Secretary Miller. “While we must be mindful of doing all we can to limit interactions outside our household to stop the spread of COVID-19, we need all Pennsylvanians to know that they are not alone through this holiday season. If you need a hand this holiday season, please use these resources.”

For more about the Wolf Administration’s efforts related to food insecurity in Pennsylvania throughout the pandemic, visit agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Due to the ongoing global pandemic, Carnegie Mellon University Athletics has cancelled intercollegiate competition for the winter season and will not resume play any sooner than March 1, 2021. The decision directly impacts the competitive schedules of both men’s and women’s programs in the sports of basketball, swimming and diving and indoor track and field.

“It is with a heavy heart that I write to share that Carnegie Mellon will cancel its winter sports season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Director of Athletics Josh Centor in an e-mail to Carnegie Mellon’s student-athletes. “While we will not compete in those sports this winter, we will not shut the door on competitive opportunities this academic year.”

Centor went on to explain in his email that the Return to Play Task Force, which includes university administrators and team physicians, will continue to meet and explore options for fall sports to compete in the spring. “If there is an opportunity for us to play basketball or swim, we will explore it,” mentioned Centor. “We will also continue to explore track and field opportunities, with a likely emphasis on the outdoor season.”

Carnegie Mellon’s position follows a decision by the University Athletic Association (UAA), which was announced on October 27. The Presidents Council approved the following resolution regarding 2020-21 winter scheduling among UAA member institutions:

“Over the last several months, several UAA committees comprising athletic administrators, vice presidents and deans, faculty athletics representatives, athletic trainers, and others have met on a regular basis to consider how winter sport competition might take place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect UAA campuses, their communities, and the nation. In the course of those discussions, it became clear that a substantial number of issues related to the implementation of recommended NCAA testing protocols for winter sports; current institutional travel limitations; local and state travel quarantine guidelines; local restrictions on the size of group gatherings; event management; and contingency planning to provide care for individuals who may test positive or become symptomatic while traveling present challenges that cannot be resolved in a manner that would facilitate an acceptable level of risk mitigation for student-athletes, coaches, officials, staff and others involved in the conduct of UAA winter sport competition.”

The Return to Play Task Force will continue to monitor the national landscape and work in conjunction with the university’s senior administration regarding the university’s safe return to intercollegiate competition.

For up-to-date information from the university, please visit Carnegie Mellon’s Coronavirus alert webpage.

The app and other mitigation efforts are vital to help stop the spread of COVID-19

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced that more than 500,000 Pennsylvanians have added their phone to the fight to stop the spread of coronavirus by downloading the COVID Alert PA mobile app.

“Thank you to the more than half-a-million Pennsylvanians who have united together to stop the spread of COVID-19 by downloading the COVID Alert PA app,” Gov. Wolf said. “The app, along with our other mitigation efforts, including mask-wearing, social distancing, hand washing and avoiding gatherings, all contribute to stopping the spread of this deadly virus. It’s time for everyone to do their part, mask up, download the app and stay safe.”

By downloading COVID Alert PA, you can get a notification if you have been in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, or anonymously notify other residents if you yourself test positive. The app is a free and voluntary mobile app developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in partnership with NearForm, University of Pennsylvania and MIT Lincoln Laboratory using Apple and Google’s Exposure Notification System.

The app’s features include an interactive COVID-19 symptom check-in, alerts for potential exposures to the virus, updates on the latest public health data about COVID-19 in PA and public health guidance for what to do if you have a potential exposure to COVID-19. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa.”

“If you test positive for COVID-19, we encourage you to download the app and enter the random six-digit code given to you by a case investigator,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “This will allow people you encountered who have the app to know that they have been exposed to COVID-19. They can then take important steps to protect themselves and others like getting tested or quarantining.”

The app is designed to ensure privacy of the user. It does not use GPS, location services or any movement or geographical information. It will never collect, transmit or store personal information. It is completely anonymous.

The app does collect user statistics such as the number of downloads or the symptom check-in demographics that people can voluntarily share. Since the launch on September 22, we know:

• There have been 506,180 downloads onto smartphone devices.
• There are an average of 37,297 COVID Check-Ins for symptoms per day.
• Around 95 percent of app users reported “feeling good” during their COVID Check-In per day.
• There were 268 positive cases who confirmed their positivity through the app, which generated 91 close-contact exposure alerts.
• Of those who received an exposure alert, 14 requested a call-back to speak with a trained contact tracer for further support.

Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight.

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”.

Pennsylvania is uniting against COVID. Here are the mitigation measures in place to keep people safe:

BUSINESS, WORK, SCHOOL, CHILD CARE, AND CONGREGATE SETTINGS

Child care may open, complying with guidance Congregate care restrictions in place Prison and hospital restrictions determined by individual facilities Schools subject to CDC and commonwealth guidance Telework must continue where feasible Businesses with in-person operations must follow updated business and building safety requirements Masks are required in businesses All in-person businesses may operate at 75% occupancy, except where noted Self-certified restaurants may open at 50% capacity for indoor dining On-premises alcohol consumption prohibited unless part of a meal; cocktails-to-go and carryout beverages are allowed Serving alcohol for on-site consumption must end at 11 p.m, and all alcoholic beverages must be removed from patrons by midnight Personal care services (including hair salons and barbershops) open at 50% occupancy and by appointment only Indoor recreation and health and wellness facilities (such as gyms and spas) open at 50% occupancy with appointments strongly encouraged; fitness facilities are directed to prioritize outdoor fitness activities All entertainment (such as casinos, theaters, and shopping malls) open at 50% occupancy Construction activity may return to full capacity with continued implementation of protocol

SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Gathering limits determined using maximum occupancy calculator Masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home

The Wolf Administration supports local officials who choose to maintain additional restrictions. Currently Philadelphia has additional local restrictions.