Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died at the age of 87.

The letter received bipartisan support from 17 other first spouses across the country

Harrisburg, PA – First Lady Frances Wolf and 17 other First Spouses and Partners sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congressional Leadership, urging both federal entities to continue to work together to further extend and fully fund child nutrition program operations throughout the entire 2020-21 school year. The letter was also signed by:

• First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California
• First Gentleman Marlon Reis, Colorado
• First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, Delaware
• First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Hawaii
• First Lady MK Pritzker, Illinois
• First Gentleman Dr. Ted Daughety, Kansas
• First Lady Britainy Beshear, Kentucky
• First Lady Lauren Baker, Massachusetts
• First Lady Gwen Walz, Minnesota
• First Lady Lisa Bullock, Montana
• First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy, New Jersey
• First Lady Kristin Cooper, North Carolina
• First Gentleman Andy Moffit, Rhode Island
• First Lady Pamela Northam, Virginia
• First Lady Trudi Inslee, Washington
• First Lady Kathy Evers, Wisconsin
• First Lady Jennie Gordon, Wyoming

Together, the signatories represent over 30 million children across the country.

“Hunger is not a partisan issue; it is everyone’s issue. When we look at how many other state leaders were willing to put their names on the dotted line, we get a glimpse of how many other children and families are struggling to get food,” stated First Lady Wolf. “We understand that the parties we have written to have taken steps to continue these feeding programs, and we thank them for their effort. However, as we cannot see the end of the pandemic, when families financial situations will be back to normal, or when our education system will stabilize, it is imperative that we plan to assist our residents for as long as we can.”

In late August, the USDA announced the extension of nationwide waivers that allow schools and community partners to continue serving meals to all children at no charge until the available funding runs out, or as late as December 31, 2020.

While the actions of the USDA throughout the pandemic, including this most recent motion, have helped tremendously with feeding children and families across the nation, recent food insecurity statistics remain alarming. According to Feeding America research, more than 54 million people, including 18 million children, may experience food insecurity this year, marking a 46 percent increase in general food insecurity rates and a 64 percent increase in child food insecurity rates compared to pre-COVID-19 statistics.

Without Congressional action, the USDA’s authority to extend school feeding waivers and other crucial feeding programs will sunset on September 30, 2020, leaving families, schools, and community partners without the tools and resources they need to feed kids during this pandemic.

Share Our Strength, an organization that works to end hunger and poverty in  the United States and abroad through campaigns like No Kid Hungry, has also been advocating for the extension of these critical waivers alongside more than 1,300 national and state-based organizations working to feed children and their families.

“Schools and community organizations need child nutrition waivers extended through the end of the academic year so they can plan and prepare their meal programs. And, with anywhere from 14 million to 17 million children not getting the food they need because of the pandemic, kids need the certainty of a nutritious meal,” says Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. “Our nation’s First Spouses and Partners, who are fierce champions for children in their states, understand the scope of the hunger crisis this pandemic has caused in their communities. They know that extending child nutrition waivers through the entire 2020-2021 school year is critical to getting our nation back on the path to ending hunger.”

View the full text of the letter to Sec. Perdue and the USDA.

View the full text of the letter to Congressional Leadership.

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced recent achievements reflecting leadership in the realm of Highly Automated Vehicles (HAV) in Pennsylvania and the nation.

“As automated and connected vehicle technologies advance, it’s critical that we ensure they develop safely and in partnership with these companies,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I’m proud of the leadership that we and our partners at the state, in academia and the industry are showing as we move Pennsylvania into the future.”

At the center of the department’s efforts is the development of testing guidance for automated vehicle stakeholders. Following discussions and meetings with the state’s Autonomous Vehicle Policy Task Force and more than a dozen automated vehicle technology companies, PennDOT issued updates to its guidance to enhance safety oversight of HAVs in Pennsylvania. This months-long effort included several rounds of internal and external reviews, and roughly 40 hours of discussions with the testers. The changes reflect advances in the industry and best practices.

PennDOT was tapped by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to join nine companies and seven other states as the first participants in a new web pilot of the U.S. DOT’s initiative to improve the safety and testing transparency of automated driving systems: the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) Initiative.  The states included are California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. The participating companies are Beep, Cruise, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Local Motors, Navya, Nuro, Toyota, Uber, and Waymo.

In addition to joining the national AV TEST initiative, PennDOT was asked to join the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education’s (PAVE) Public Sector Advisory Council, a group of public sector organizations that will assist with PAVE’s campaign to educate consumers about automated vehicles and their societal impacts.

Pennsylvania’s Highly Automated Vehicle Advisory Committee recently published its first annual report available on PennDOT’s Highly Automated Vehicle Advisory Committee webpage under “Resources.”

The updated guidance and other information on automated and connected vehicles in Pennsylvania is available at www.penndot.gov/AV.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Aging today reminded Pennsylvanians of the preventive measures necessary to avoid falls, particularly among older adults.

“As adults get older, they are more vulnerable to falls that could end in life-changing consequences. However, falling is not an inevitable result of aging. Through practical lifestyle adjustments, prevention programs, exercise and community partnerships, falls among older adults can be substantially reduced,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres. “The Department of Aging is here to help older adults maintain a good quality of life by increasing awareness of this issue, providing educational programs and encouraging all Pennsylvanians to take steps to protect themselves and their older loved ones who may be at increased risk of suffering from falls.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging provides resources for older adults on how to assess their risk for falls and how to prevent them.

Here are tips to prevent falls:

Ask Your Doctor to:

• Evaluate your risk for falling
• Review your prescriptions and over the counter medications
• Evaluate your need for calcium or vitamin D supplements
• Review any issues that are causing you to experience periods of confusion or difficulty remembering

Make Your Home Safer:

• Get rid of things you could trip over in your home
• Add grab bars inside and outside your tub or shower and next to the toilet
• Put railings on both sides of stairs
• Make sure your home – inside and around the exterior – is well lit

Live Healthier:

• Participate in strength and balance exercises
• Eat a healthy balanced diet
• Have your eyes checked
• Have your hearing checked

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging offers a fall risk screening and prevention program to adults 50 years of age and older. Visit Healthy Steps for Older Adults to learn more.

Governor Tom Wolf presented a proclamation designating September 21-25 Falls Prevention Awareness Week in the commonwealth, which coincides with the nationwide commemoration by the National Council on Aging.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among people 65 and older in the commonwealth, accounting for 67.5% of fatal traumatic brain injuries, and resulting in 1,606 deaths and 57,727 hospitalizations in 2018. Older adults who experience a fall may face depression, loss of mobility and loss of functional independence.

Learn more about the various other programs offered by the department here

Lycoming County – Lycoming County Resource Management Services has reopened one additional site at Limestone Township, located at 6253 South PA-44, Jersey Shore, PA 17740.

If you or anyone in your household has COVID19, please throw away your recyclables. If you do not wish to visit the drop off sites, please know single stream recycling is available in Lycoming County. Reach out to your waste hauler for details.

Recycling drop off site has reopened at Limestone Township, located at the Township Building. Please know that the recycling site no longer has steps to use the plastics/metals container.

Please be aware that collection procedures have changed. To better accommodate the inbound recyclables and help with its transportation, more materials will be combined:

1. FIBER/PAPERS which include magazines, newspapers, chipboard, office paper junk mail, and cardboard that has been broken down are all acceptable into one container.

2. PLASTICS BOTTLES 1&2/METAL CANS which include plastic bottles/jars #1&2 only, tin/steel cans, and aluminum cans are all acceptable into one container.

3. GLASS BOTTLES/JARS are still acceptable and are still separated by color (clear/brown/green).

PLASTIC BAGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE RECYCLING CONTAINERS, PLEASE EMPTY ANY BAGGED MATERIAL AND TAKE THE BAGS BACK HOME WITH YOU (only exception is for shredded office paper, please put your shredded office paper in a clear bag).

Thank you for your recycling participation. We will release updates as new sites begin to open. Please know that you may recycle at any of the open Lycoming County recycling drop off sites regardless of your municipality. For an updated list of open drop off sites, please check our website www.lcrms.com.

Seven (7) new cases added Friday in Lycoming County now at 617 cases and 23 total deaths, with 12,297 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19,

760 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 148,683

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., September 18, that there were 760 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 148,683. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between September 11 and September 17 is 172,682 with 6,046 positive cases. There were 26,068 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., September 17. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

There are 7,934 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 21 new deaths reported. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

“We know that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields increased case counts. The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings, and telework will help keep our case counts low. Together, as Pennsylvanians, all of our efforts are designed to support our communities to ensure that cases of COVID-19 remain low.”

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Beginning August 29, the department began publishing COVID-19 case counts using the updated standardized case definition for COVID-19 from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. This revised case definition updates criteria for case identification and case classification based on the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. It updates probable case classifications and adds suspect case classifications. The definition for confirmed cases using a positive PCR test has not changed. Viral antigen tests, which identify people who are likely currently infected, will now be considered a probable case, even if the individual has no symptoms or exposure history. Persons with a positive antibody (serology) test, moving forward, will no longer be considered a probable case. However, cases previously counted as probable cases, using the prior national case definition, will remain counted as probable cases.

There are 257 cases who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 645 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 1,732,805 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;
• Approximately 4% are ages 13-18;
• Approximately 12% are ages 19-24;
• Approximately 36% are ages 25-49;
• Nearly 22% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 22% 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 date in September:

• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 70 percent of cases so far in September;
• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 32 percent of cases so far in September;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to approximately 39 percent of cases so far in September;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 28 percent of cases so far in September;
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 18 percent of cases so far in September; and
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 17 percent of cases so far in September.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 22,162 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,839 cases among employees, for a total of 27,001 at 957 distinct facilities in 61 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,343 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 10,281 of our total cases are among health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Currently, all 67 counties are in the green phase of reopening.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, Sept. 17:

• Provided latest CMU metrics report.
• Signed order that restaurants may increase occupancy to 50 percent.
• Urged legislature to provide support to front-line workers.
• 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.

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
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

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.