Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania is prepared with a stockpile of ​personal protective equipment (PPE​) now and should it be needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months.

PPE includes protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, goggles, facemasks and respirators or other equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or the spread of infection or illness. It is not the same as cloth or paper masks that people are required to wear when they leave their homes to protect them and those they interact with.

“I want all Pennsylvanians to know that the commonwealth is prepared now for battling the ongoing pandemic that is COVID-19 and that preparedness extends to a possible resurgence this fall,” Gov. Wolf said. “There are still many unknowns with this virus, and we can’t control those, but we can control what we know and we know that by being ready with enough PPE, we can protect our health care workers, first responders and other essential workers and not overwhelm our health care system.”

To date, the state has distributed close to 5.4 million N95 masks, more than 736,000 gowns, more than 2.75 million procedure masks, close to 7.7 million gloves, close to 1.3 million face shields and a little less than 1 million bottles of hand sanitizer.

Last week the governor visited Americhem International, a Middletown-based wholesale distributor of janitorial and sanitizing products that serves a variety of industries, to thank businesses that worked to supply PPE during the pandemic and outlined the myriad efforts undertaken to ensure the commonwealth is and will be prepared for all PPE needs.

PPE is necessary to protect health care workers, first responders, those working in long-term living and correctional facilities, and those they care for. It is vital for facilities to have preparedness plans and for the state to assist when needed.

“The state, through procurement, sourcing and buying of PPE, is prepared for fall,” Gov. Wolf said. “We have significantly more PPE on hand to assist those who need it than we had prior to COVID-19. We continue to push PPE to those who need and request it and will work to ensure we keep our stockpile filled.

“In the early days of the pandemic, this administration took numerous steps to secure sources of PPE to ensure that Pennsylvanians were protected and that our health system was not overwhelmed. Our proactive and ongoing efforts to secure PPE, coupled with the flexibility and ingenuity displayed by Pennsylvania’s business community, helped us secure and allocate PPE. Because of the steps we took, our hospitals were not overburdened, and our medical system was not strained. Now, six months after the virus first appeared in the commonwealth, we can say with confidence that we are prepared to stay safe as we continue to fight this pandemic.”

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf has presented Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Field Representative Tyler Banas with a Governor’s Award for Excellence for his work securing food access to 1.3 million low-income Pennsylvanians through the department’s Bureau of Food Assistance.

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize commonwealth employees for exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and/or increased efficiency. Banas is among 49 employees from nine state agencies to be recognized for accomplishments in 2019.

“When we see employees like Tyler going the extra mile in their daily work, we are grateful that they understand their role in the interconnectedness of our food system,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Tyler noticed areas where he could assist and didn’t hesitate to help. Facilitating a smooth transition of a major contract assured a continuation of food security for vulnerable populations. He deserves this recognition.”

When Philadelphia Cold Storage gave 60 days’ notice that it was going out of business in 2019, the action severed its five-year contract with the Department of Agriculture two years early.

This vital contract is used to distribute US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods to schools and food banks in the five-county Philadelphia region, which includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Through the program, 1.3 million low– income Pennsylvanians are served.

The Share Food Program, a non-profit, charitable food assistance provider, offered to take over the contract starting in June 2019.

While Share Food was familiar with the procedures for distributing USDA Foods to food banks, they were unfamiliar with all the operations involved in distributing USDA Foods to schools through the National School Lunch Program.

“I saw they were taking on a task that was unprecedented for a food bank, at least in Pennsylvania, and I saw they needed help,” Banas said.

Taking on the contract meant transitioning from being a recipient food bank, only receiving trucks, to supplying all the other food banks, food pantries, and schools in the five-county area. Now they receive more trucks and send out many trucks each day.

It was an immense change. Banas helped them figure out logistics and paperwork.

While taking on this increased responsibility, the Share Food program was also receiving tens of thousands of cases of additional, perishable USDA Foods for distribution through the charitable food system as a result of USDA’s Trade Mitigation program, which increased support to U.S. farmers in the form of cash payments and product purchases.

Banas helped them master the proper storage of perishables, including fresh milk, fruits, and vegetables.

Banas didn’t know he had been nominated for the Governor’s Award for Excellence and was surprised when he received an email from Governor’s Office informing him of the award.

“It hasn’t sunk in,” Banas said. “I just thought I was doing my job, to tell the truth.”

A state grant program that helps companies increase export sales is funding new activities because of COVID-19 travel difficulties.

The Global Access Program (GAP) is now providing grants for e-commerce, digital marketing, marketing media design, and certain certifications.

SEDA-Council of Governments’ (SEDA-COG) Export Development program assists businesses with application development, submittal, reporting, and reimbursement, among other assistance.

Since the program began eight years ago, SEDA-COG has helped 63 companies to be awarded 103 grants totaling $371,525.

Noelle Long, director of SEDA-COG’s Export program, encouraged small- to mid-sized companies to apply for these funds.

“Businesses are having to adapt to the rapidly changing environment with the pandemic, and the GAP grant program has also adjusted to suit their needs since digital marketing is more important than ever. SEDA-COG is committed to continuing to empower businesses through this crisis and connect them with as many opportunities as possible,” Long said.

The reimbursable grants can be awarded up to $5,000. SEDA-COG’s GAP funds are available through next September.

Specifically, the grant now can be used for:

• E-commerce and digital marketing

• • Design and development of website, with an international focus
  • Oversight and maintenance and monitoring fees for search engine optimization
  • Online market listing fees
  • E-commerce platform fees, including hosting and/or maintenance fees
  • Expenses to set up websites to accept international payments
• Payments for Design of Marketing Media
  • Design of company digital international marketing, including social media and digital ads
  • Translation of marketing media, including audio and video
  • Google Analytics
• Certifications: CE, CEE, GDPR, UL Canada, ATEX Testing/Certification, Japan Haz/Loc Certification, IECex Testing/Certification

The program continues to offer grants for the following activities:

• Overseas trade mission participation (in person and virtual)
• Overseas trade show exhibition (in person and virtual)
• Domestic trade show exhibition (in person and virtual)
• Foreign market sales trip
• Subscription to U.S. Department of Commerce services
• Compliance testing
• Federal services that directly support exporting

GAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development (OIBD). The program is funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). For more information, visit https://dced.pa.gov/programs/global-access-program-gap/.

SEDA-COG’s Export Development team serves the businesses and communities of central Pennsylvania by encouraging and facilitating economic development through growth in world trade. It is funded by the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Office of International Business Development and Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance.

For more information about SEDA-COG’s Export Development Program, contact Noelle Long at export@seda-cog.org or 570-524-4491.

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 sent a letter to Senator Bob Casey and Senator Pat Toomey to urge them to grant DHS continued flexibility to manage changing needs during the COVID-19 health crisis, especially pertaining to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) waivers.

“The economic impact of this crisis has not yet been fully mitigated and for that reason, we expect SNAP enrollment to continue to grow. We urge you to support the adoption and extension of these waiver flexibilities, which will be necessary to support the provision of critical benefits to Pennsylvania households in need,” wrote Secretary Miller. “Granting Pennsylvania the flexibility of these waivers will ensure that DHS can continue to effectively manage the COVID-19 public health emergency and its ensuing economic impact.”

DHS specifically requested that senators Casey and Toomey pass resolutions that would extend existing waivers DHS has found valuable in managing people’s changing needs during the health crisis, including:

• The ability to extend SNAP benefit certification periods and adjust periodic reporting requirements;
• The ability to allow household reporting through periodic reporting; and
• The ability to adjust interview requirements for SNAP.

Without the continuation of these waivers, DHS may need to authorize overtime or hire additional staff to keep pace with existing work due to an expected increase in need for assistance programs over the fall and winter months. Charitable food networks may also be further stressed, as they play an important intermediary role in keeping people fed as households await SNAP eligibility determinations.

SNAP helps more than 1.9 million Pennsylvanians expand purchasing power by providing money each month to spend on groceries, helping households have resources to purchase enough food to avoid going hungry. Inadequate food and chronic nutrient deficiencies have profound effects on a person’s life and health, including increased risks for chronic diseases, higher chances of hospitalization, poorer overall health, and increased health care costs. As the nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic, access to essential needs like food is more important than ever to help keep vulnerable populations healthy and mitigate co-occurring health risks.

Applications for SNAP and other public assistance programs can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. Those who prefer to submit paper documentation can print from the website or request an application by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mail it to their local County Assistance Office (CAO) or place it in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. While CAOs remain closed, work processing applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits continues. Clients should use COMPASS or the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app to submit necessary updates to their case files while CAOs are closed.

Pennsylvanians who need more immediate help feeding themselves or their family should find and contact their local food bank or pantry through Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania.

Read a copy of Secretary Miller’s letter here.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is proud to announce that several employees are recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, presented annually for exemplary service to the commonwealth.

“PennDOT employees go above and beyond for the public every day,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I am so proud of all that these employees have done, and I thank Governor Wolf for recognizing their hard work and service to the people of Pennsylvania.”

Employees from Engineering District 12 (Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties) and the bureaus of Office Services and Fiscal Management received a group award. On Memorial Day in 2019, PennDOT’s Greene County maintenance office in was destroyed in a fire. There were no injuries, but the building was a total loss. Despite having no building to operate from, staff continued operations in Greene County with no interruption in services to the public. They also worked quickly to secure both a temporary office space and a garage space. Less than eight months after the fire, a new permanent building was designed, put out for bid and is currently under construction.

“The teamwork of this group demonstrates PennDOT’s agility to react to emergencies,” said District 12 Executive William Kovach. “They did whatever it took to provide reliable services to the public, and I’m extremely proud.”

The recognized individuals are:

• William Baird, Highway Equipment Manager 2;
• William C. Gipe, Materials and Services Manager;
• Christopher S. Inman, Purchasing Agent Supervisor;
• Tamie Kiger, Clerical Supervisor 2;
• Timothy J. Mankey, Traffic Control Specialist;
• Ryan Stephen Medvitz, Civil Engineer Manager;
• Terrence G. Pearsall, Transportation Facilities Management Chief;
• Jack C. Rice, Transportation Facility Manager 3;
• Tammy H. Tedesco, Administrative Officer 4; and
• Leslie D. Wynn, Fiscal Management Specialist 4.

PennDOT REAL ID Program Manager Sarah D. Baker has also been recognized for her efforts in making REAL ID-compliant driver licenses and photo ID cards available to Pennsylvanians. Because of prior legislation that prohibited Pennsylvania from complying with the federal REAL ID Act, PennDOT only had 19 months to make REAL IDs available to Pennsylvanians. Baker immersed herself in federal REAL ID guidelines to ensure that PennDOT’s program complies with applicable laws and regulations. Baker also coordinated closely with contractors on the construction of five new driver’s license centers, was instrumental in the design of IT infrastructure to support the REAL ID program, and conducted extensive research on customer management so that each location was designed for the optimal customer experience.

“Sarah’s efforts were – and still are – critical to the success of PennDOT’s REAL ID program,” said Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kurt Myers. “Thanks to her commitment, Pennsylvanians have access to an efficient process that complies with all applicable federal requirements.”

The PennDOT award recipients will be among 49 state employees representing nine commonwealth agencies recognized by Governor Wolf at a virtual ceremony.

 Harrisburg, PA – Hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts heading into Pennsylvania’s state-owned woodlands this autumn will find additional roads open in 18 of the 20 state forest districts, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced today.

“Our Bureau of Forestry is opening more than 525 miles of state forest roads normally open only for administrative use. They again will be available to hunters, hikers, foliage viewers, and others visiting state forestlands this fall,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.  “This improved accessibility, coupled with DCNR’s promotion of deer hunting, benefits forest regeneration and the overall ecosystem.”

More than 3,000 miles of state forest roadways will be open during the traditional statewide archery deer season, which opens Saturday, October 3, and closes Saturday, November 14. They will continue to stay open through other hunting seasons continuing into January 2021.

“Regardless of whether they seek deer, bear, turkey or small game, hunters in our state forests will find more than 90 percent of that land now is within one-half mile of an open road,” said Dunn.

With the hunter in mind, DCNR and the Pennsylvania Game Commission continue to update a map interactive map of state forestlands and game lands across Pennsylvania. The map offers information on the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) and Disease Management Areas, and details on newly opened roads, timber harvesting activity, forestry office contacts, and more.

Meanwhile, top-quality hunting is offered at many state parks — especially those in the 12.5-county Pennsylvania Wilds region — where state forestland often surrounds them. Inexpensive camping can be found at many of those parks.

Primitive camping on state forestlands is also an option, giving hunters a backcountry camping or hunting experience. Camping permits, issued by the managing forest district, are required when camping on state forestlands on designated sites.

Many of these campsites are close to state parks and forestlands enrolled in the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program, permitting hunters to take one antlerless deer or more when properly licensed.

Hunters traveling to some north central areas of the state are reminded some hunting areas and travel routes may be impacted by Marcellus Shale-related activities. Some state forest roads may be temporarily closed during drilling operations or other peak periods of heavy use to reduce potential safety hazards.

Some state forest roads only will be opened for the second week of the traditional rifle season because they cannot withstand the expected heavy traffic of the first week of that season. Two- or three-month long openings will be in effect only where there is minimal threat of damage or deterioration to road surfaces or forest surroundings.