Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration recently participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine project, which resulted in the report: Decarcerating Correctional Facilities During COVID-19. Released today, the report, which was funded by Arnold Ventures and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, offers guidance on efforts to decarcerate, or reduce the incarcerated population, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the experts participating in its various committees was Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel, who joined others to tackle the issue of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilities. While other state departments of Corrections provided input, Wetzel was the only corrections official to participate in a committee.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is fortunate to have an exceptional team of corrections and parole experts led by Secretary John Wetzel,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “Throughout this ongoing battle against COVID-19, Wetzel and his team have led the nation in its response to and fight against this virus. I am pleased that John was able to share his knowledge and efforts related to COVID-19 and to help guide the nation to safely reduce inmate populations.”

“I was honored to represent the Wolf Administration by participating in this important project,” Wetzel said. “Thanks to Gov. Wolf’s leadership, we have been successful in our efforts to mitigate COVID-19 while keeping the public safe and informed. Many of the recommendations of this report are things our agency has been doing. I commend our employees for their continued work to keep our staff and inmates safe.”

The report includes a chart indicating Pennsylvania is one of only a few states where the COVID-19 rate is lower in correctional facilities than in communities.

The National Academies created several committees to examine reducing inmate populations during COVID-19. Based upon research reviewed, their report has concluded that “decarceration is an appropriate and necessary mitigation strategy to include in the COVID-19 response in correctional facilities and would reduce risks of exposure to and transmission of the disease within correctional facilities, thus improving the safety of incarcerated and detained people and correctional staff.”

The report also highlights the need to focus on reentry efforts for justice-involved people who are released from prison. Areas of importance identified include access to community health care and mental health services, employment assistance, housing support, family reunification efforts and community racial inequity issues and concerns. Existing partnerships and new collaborations are key to decarceration, which the report says is a process and not a one-time action. Some actions will be immediately feasible, while others will take longer to implement.

Recommendations, many of which the PA DOC has already implemented, include:

• Federal, state, and local officials should exercise their discretion across a variety of domains to divert individuals from incarceration.
• Correctional officials, in conjunction with public health authorities, should take steps to assess the optimal population level of their facilities to adhere to public health guidelines during the pandemic.
• Correctional officials should identify candidates for release from prison and jail in a fair and equitable manner and engage other officials outside the correctional system as necessary to expedite decarceration to the optimal level.
• Federal and state policy makers should revise compassionate release policies to account for petitioners’ medical condition, age, functional or cognitive impairment, or family circumstances.
• When releasing individuals from prisons and jails, correctional officials, in collaboration with other public officials and community-based programs, should develop individualized reentry plans incorporating a bundle of services encompassing health care, housing, and income supports to address individual and family needs as an important complement to decarceration efforts.
• Correctional officials, in coordination with local public health authorities should implement measures to avoid creating additional COVID-19-related health risks for families and communities.
• Parole and probation departments should examine their policies and procedures and take quick action where needed to reduce the impact of community supervision on the spread of COVID-19.
• States should remove barriers to eligibility for Medicaid to ensure that incarcerated and previously incarcerated individuals have access to COVID-19 tests and related services and transitional health care need.
• All correctional facilities (including jails, state and federal prisons, detention centers of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and juvenile facilities) should report daily standardized, aggregated data on COVID-19 incidence, testing rates, hospitalizations, mortality, and all-cause-mortality among incarcerated people and staff by age, gender, and race/ethnicity to public health officials as directed and via a public-facing website or dashboard.
• State and federal research infrastructures should invest in the monitoring and evaluation of the changes in operations and targeted COVID-19 release mechanisms in correctional facilities to document the impact of such efforts on correctional health, public safety, public health, and racial equity.

Learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and its COVID-19 mitigation efforts at www.cor.pa.gov.

State Veterinarian Provides Recommendations to Keep Companion Animals Healthy

Harrisburg, PA – State Veterinarian Dr. Kevin Brightbill announced today that Pennsylvania has confirmed its first COVID-19 positive cat.

The 16-year old Cumberland County cat, who lived in a household with multiple individuals who had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19, presented in early October with mild respiratory illness. Unfortunately, as a result of respiratory distress, the cat was humanely euthanized. The case is still under investigation, and a primary cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

The Pennsylvania cat is one of a handful of COVID-19 positive pets from across the United States that died or were euthanized while infected. All pets infected had known prolonged exposure to COVID-19 individuals and none to date appear to have died from COVID-19. Instead, other serious underlying illnesses are attributable to cause of death.

“As Pennsylvanians have spent more time at home throughout the pandemic, our companion animals have undoubtedly been the recipients of extra love and attention,” said Dr. Brightbill. “If you or a loved one becomes diagnosed with COVID-19, take steps to keep your pet healthy, just as you would your family.”

Many of the same recommendations for protecting people apply to animals. To help protect Pennsylvania pets, households with COVID-19 positive individuals should adhere to the following guidelines:

• Avoid contact with pets and other animals, as you would other people.
• Arrange for another household member to care for your pet(s) while you or family members are in isolation.
• Avoid contact such as petting, holding, snuggling, facial contact, and sleeping in the same bed.
• Wear a mask and wash your hands before feeding or tending to your pet if you are unable to find alternative care for them.

Symptoms of COVID-19 in pets includes fever, coughing, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, lethargy, sneezing, nose or eye discharge, vomiting, or diarrhea. If your pet exhibits symptoms after contact with a person positive for COVID-19, contact your private veterinarian.

At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading COVID-19 to people. COVID-19 is mainly spread through person-to-person contact.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

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

All proceeds benefit The Hope Foundation

Just in time for the holidays, the Williamsport Crosscutters are giving fans the opportunity to give the gift of smiles with the release of the 2021 Rhashan Wall Calendar-13 Months of Smiles.

This exclusive limited-edition calendar features a picture of Rhashan West-Bey, the popular Cutters Director Smiles each and every month. Each page is guaranteed to bring a smile to faces throughout the new year.

Thanks to the generosity of Bower Electric of South Williamsport, all proceeds from the sale of the calendars will be donated to Rhashan’s hand-picked charity, The Hope Foundation and their mission to drive funding to HOPE Enterprises, Inc. in the support of people with diverse abilities. Rhashan is a recipient of Hope’s services.

“The Rhashan calendar is a project that’s been on our to-do list for about a year now,” said Gabe Sinicropi the Cutters Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. “With the cancelation of our Cutters 5K this past June, which benefits The Hope Foundation, it made perfect sense to activate this idea now to try and replace some of the funds that would have raised with the 5K event.”

The calendars sell for $10 each and can be ordered via the Crosscutters online store, The Sawmill  Online. Fans can order by visiting crosscutters.com and clicking on the SHOP link at the top of the page. The calendars make great gifts for fellow Cutters fans and most anyone on your holiday gift list.

While negotiations between Minor League Baseball and MLB are still on-going regarding plans for 2021 and beyond, fans can keep up on the latest news, information and features online via the Cutters social media channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as crosscutters.com.

Eighteen (18) new cases added Tuesday in Lycoming County now at 891 cases, no new deaths, 29 total deaths, with 15,313 negatives according to DOH report

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19

1,557 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 184,872

Pennsylvanians Urged to Download COVID Alert PA App

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., October 19, that there were 1,557additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 184,872.

Allegheny is reporting an increase of 106 cases, Delaware is reporting an increase of 109 cases, and Philadelphia is reporting an increase of 158 cases.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between October 13 and October 19 is 228,245 with 10,011 positive cases. There were 28,978 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., October 19.

There are 8,533 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 33 new deaths reported. 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 1,855 cases who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 648 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 2,155,639 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Approximately 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 2% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 5% are ages 13-18;
• Nearly 14% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 36% are ages 25-49;
• Approximately 21% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 21% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The department is seeing 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, as there are more cases in younger age groups than in those 50-64 and 65+. The following regions saw significant increases among 19 to 24-year-olds in each month from April to present in October:

• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 32 percent of cases so far in October;
• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 16 percent of cases so far in October;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to approximately 19 percent of cases so far in October;
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 20 percent of cases so far in October;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 13 percent of cases so far in October; and
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 10 percent of cases so far in October.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 24,735 resident cases of COVID-19, and 5,403 cases among employees, for a total of 30,138 at 1,028 distinct facilities in 62 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,614 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 11,739 of our total cases are among health care workers.

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

• 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.

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 – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine 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. The secretaries were joined by Dr. Nicole Osevala, who leads the Penn State Health RRHC, and leadership from DHS overseeing the RRHCs to discuss Penn State Health’s work supporting facilities in Southcentral Pennsylvania and why the program must continue to be supported beyond its December 1, 2020 end date.

“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 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 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. Southcentral Pennsylvania’s RRHC is Penn State Health.

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 6,200 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 more than 1,800 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.

Penn State Health’s RRHC serves 13 counties in Southcentral Pennsylvania. Since July, Penn State’s RRHC has participated in 734 missions covering facility assessments, testing assistance, PPE support and fit testing, training and consultation, and staffing assistance, among others. Penn State Health has assisted with 25 rapid response deployments across the Southcentral Region.

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 1. 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 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.