The Office of Voter Services has received multiple complaints alleging that an unknown person knocked on the door of a Williamsport resident, identified himself as a Voter Services employee conducting voter registration activities, and requested personal identifying information from the resident.

Lycoming County residents should be advised that Voter Services staff do NOT conduct door-to-door voter registration activities. If a person knocks on your door and claims to be from Voter Services, be very skeptical of any attempt to obtain personal identifying information such as your date of birth, driver’s license number, or Social Security Number.

Call Voter Services at (570) 327-2267 to report any suspicious encounters. Voter Services is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today reminded all Pennsylvanians to take steps now to prepare for potential emergencies and disasters.

“September is recognized as National Preparedness Month and the department wants to stress the importance of being prepared to ensure our fellow Pennsylvanians are ready to handle any potential emergency or disaster that could come our way,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “The rest of this year still holds uncertainty with COVID-19 and its related impacts. The best way to stay safe this fall is to prepare, stay alert, and stay calm.”

This fall, students should give extra thought to the materials they need for a successful school year. It is important to include at least one extra cloth face mask and plenty of hand sanitizer in their backpacks. If a student is wearing a mask that gets wet or dirty, they should practice mask etiquette by taking it off and putting on a clean, dry mask. Then, place the wet or dirty mask in a plastic bag inside of their backpack and wash immediately when they get home.

Now is the time to update emergency and health plans. In the case of an early dismissal due to a COVID-19 positive case or other emergency, students should have the phone numbers of their parents or guardians in their backpack. Likewise, parents and legal guardians should have a plan for picking up children from school. Discuss a health plan with your family to make sure all of your doctor appointments and vaccines, including the flu vaccine, are up to date.

As has been seen recently across the United States, parts of the country have dealt with significant flood and wind damage from numerous hurricanes, wildfires in the western part of the country and significant drought. There have also been increased health threats from counts of civil unrest demonstrations with large gatherings across the country. All of this has occurred amidst a nationwide pandemic.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Health is prepared to handle any hazard, and even multiple hazards at once,” said Ray Barishansky, Deputy Secretary of Health Preparedness and Community Protection. “Working with other state agencies, including the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, we are prepared to respond to COVID-19, natural disasters, manmade disasters and other hazards to protect Pennsylvanians. It is important for each of us to take steps to prepare for a potential disaster, and to teach our children how to prepare as well.”

Pennsylvanians face many different hazards from natural disasters such as flooding, winter storms, and summer storms to manmade disasters such as fires, hazardous material incidents, possible issues at nuclear power plant facilities and terrorist attacks. The department, along with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, has Emergency Preparedness Guides available on our website in English, large print English, Spanish, Chinese, German and Russian.

Other ways to be prepared for an emergency or disaster include:

• Learning CPR;
• Learning first aid;
• Checking your insurance policy to see whether it covers hazards such as flooding, earthquakes and tornadoes;
• Knowing how to shut off water and gas at your home;
• Having a family emergency plan;
• Having a list of all medications you take;
• Creating an emergency kit with enough supplies in case you lose power for three days;
• Planning for those with access and functional needs in your home, such as infants, seniors, and those with intellectual and physical disabilities;
• Planning for your pets and their needs; and
• Having a family reunification plan, in case you must leave your home during an emergency.

For more information on emergency preparedness in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Governor Tom Wolf speaks during a press conference addressing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania, inside PEMA headquarters on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today announced that all assisted living residences, personal care homes, and private intermediate care facilities have completed universal baseline COVID-19 testing. To date, 100 percent of the 1,363 DHS-licensed personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities have completed universal baseline testing by the August 31 deadline.

“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. We must learn from experiences of the last six months and continue to strengthen prevention and response efforts as this pandemic evolves,” said Sec. Miller. “Protecting medically fragile and vulnerable residents of long-term care facilities requires constant vigilance, and this universal baseline testing is a critical step in allowing these facilities to know the status of COVID-19 in their facility that will inform mitigation efforts and steps necessary to keep residents and staff safe as we move into the fall.”

On June 26, Dr. Levine signed an expanded testing order, directing personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities to test all residents and staff at least once by August 31. This order was based on a similar directive to nursing facilities licensed by DOH that completed initial universal testing as of July 24. This universal testing allows facilities to assess the status of COVID-19 in their facility, evaluate mitigation and response plans and procedures if cases occur, and set a foundation for greater preparedness moving forward.

“Universal testing allows us to see a full picture of COVID-19 among some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We are pleased by the work done by the facilities and our partners to complete this. The assistance of partners such as the RRHCs, CVS Health, and Eurofins has been integral as part of this work.”

The Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) Program has helped facilities complete testing and meet this requirement. 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.

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, DOH, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to report on experiences interacting with facilities, trends experienced by facilities, and potential challenges. The RRHCs and the regions they serve are:

• Southeast Region:
  • Thomas Jefferson University in partnership with Main Line Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network
  • University of Pennsylvania in partnership with Temple University Hospital, Inc.
• Northeast Region:
  • Geisinger Clinic
  • Lehigh Valley Hospital, Inc.
• Southcentral Region:
  • The Pennsylvania State University
• Northcentral Region:
  • Geisinger Clinic
• Southwest Region:
  • UPMC Community Provider Services in partnership with Allegheny Health Network, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and the Hospital Council of Western PA
• Northwest Region:
  • LECOM Health
  • UPMC Community Provider Services in partnership with Allegheny Health Network, The Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and the Hospital Council of Western PA

When a RRHC engages with a facility or is called in to help with a concern identified from collaboration between DHS, DOH, and PEMA during daily calls, these 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, personal protective equipment (PPE) support, testing to ensure PPE is properly fitted, and questions or concerns requiring consultation.

Since launching, the RRHCs have been assigned more than 3,000 missions, primarily covering testing, consultations, facility assessments, and support with PPE. Specifically, the RRHCs have conducted 64 total rapid response team deployments, with 57 of those completed at this time. The rapid response teams are comprised of registered nurses, clinicians, epidemiologists, and infection control experts. More than 650 on-site facilities visits have occurred as the RRHCs work to assist long-term care facilities. The RRHC call centers have received more than 600 calls to assist facilities with universal testing, staffing support, PPE, and testing kits.

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.

Facilities that have completed the baseline testing to date can be found here, and cases reported at personal care homes and assisted living residences are available here. This data is updated every Tuesday. Data on cases at other DHS-licensed facilities is available by county here.

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

Governor Tom Wolf speaks during a press conference addressing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania, inside PEMA headquarters on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today was joined by Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Executive Director and CEO Robin L. Wiessmann, Sen. Jay Costa, Rep. Maureen Madden and advocates to urge the legislature to quickly pass legislation to protect Pennsylvanians from eviction from their homes and fix a state program, so it helps more homeowners and renters as intended.

“Pennsylvanians shouldn’t lose their homes or have to worry about a place to live because of the financial hardships caused by COVID-19,” said Governor Wolf. “Pennsylvanians are making sacrifices to fight this pandemic, but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I’ve paused evictions for nearly four months, but now we need legislation. I urge the General Assembly to immediately pass a moratorium on evictions and fix flaws in a rent relief program so more people can get the help they need.”

Since the Pennsylvania Supreme Court eviction moratorium expired in May, the governor has signed executive orders on May 7 and July 9 that protected Pennsylvanians from foreclosures and evictions. The recent order expired Aug. 31 and the state’s Emergency Services Code does not allow the governor to provide further relief related to temporary housing. Legislation is necessary to further pause evictions and ensure people have a stable place to live as the economy continues to recover.

The governor is also urging the General Assembly to fix defects in Act 24 of 2020, which provides $175 million in rent and mortgage relief using CARES Act funds. The program, administered by the PHFA, has a cumbersome application process and is helping fewer people than expected.

The governor called for changes to help renters:

• Raise the $750 monthly cap on rent relief to at least 130% of HUD limits – In some parts of the state rent payments exceed $750 a month, therefore landlords decline to participate, leaving tenants without payment assistance.
• Eliminate the requirement that households be 30 days behind on rent to be eligible for assistance – The requirement creates an unfair burden on applicants who prioritize rent and mortgage payments over paying for food, medicine or other bills.
• Eliminate verification that applicants applied for unemployment compensation – The added administrative step creates unnecessary processing delays of applications and availability of assistance.
• Provide landlords and mortgagees the option to forgive the remaining unpaid rent or mortgage payments or allow the balance to be repaid over one year – Offering property owners to recoup balance of payments should encourage participation in the program.

“In the first two months of managing the relief programs for renters and homeowners, we’ve learned things that can make the programs work better and get assistance out to more people,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “Making these changes, and extending the application deadline, should help us assist considerably more people and, most importantly, prevent them from becoming homeless.”

The governor sent letters to the House and Senate last week outlining the recommendations.

“No one should worry about losing the roof over their head at the same time they’re worried about contracting a highly contagious, deadly virus,” said Senator Jay Costa. “It’s our job to keep families safe, not stand idly by as they’re made homeless in droves. I call on the Senate Republicans to call us back into session immediately to extend the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.”

“We were in a housing crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Maureen Madden. “All the virus has done is stripped away the façade and exposed the crumbling beams. Now, one in five renters and homeowners can’t make their monthly payments. Think about it. How many people live on your street? Now think about every fifth house empty. We must act now.”

“In all these years, I have never missed a payment, but I am currently in the situation where I need to choose between risking my life, as I am immune-compromised,” said Jesús Rodriguez. “Many Pennsylvanians have lost jobs and income, and we need the legislature to extend the moratorium on evictions to protect working-class families from homelessness.”

To further help renters, the governor is proposing an additional $100 million for the Rent Relief Program to provide more financial assistance on behalf of low- to moderate-income renters having trouble making rent payments as a result of the pandemic. Assistance would remain as grants with funds paid directly to landlords or property owners.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have each extended foreclosure and eviction moratoriums through Dec. 31.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf signed a second renewal of his 90-day disaster declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic yesterday. He originally signed it March 6 following the announcement of the first two presumptive positive cases of the virus in the commonwealth.

“As we approach the six-month mark of this crisis, I continue to be amazed at the resiliency and strength shown by Pennsylvanians during this pandemic,” Gov. Wolf said. “We are going to continue to combat the health and economic effects of COVID-19, and the renewal of my disaster declaration will provide us with resources and support needed for this effort.”

The emergency disaster declaration provides for increased support to state agencies involved in the continued response to the virus and recovery for the state during reopening. This includes expediting supply procurement and lifting certain regulations to allow for efficient and effective mitigation.

The disaster declaration has allowed for waivers and extensions to continue to provide for Pennsylvanians and businesses under the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, including the ability to waive the one-week waiting period to receive unemployment compensation, work search requirements, and the registration with PA CareerLink for applicants, and to provide relief from charges for employers; and allowing the commonwealth to suspend numerous training requirements and certification and licensure renewals for health care professionals, child care workers, direct care workers, direct support professionals, among other professional groups who provide life-sustaining services to our children, seniors, and vulnerable residents.

Through the disaster declaration, PEMA has been able to mission assign the National Guard to provide various types of support for long term care facilities, including providing direct patient care support, ancillary support, and testing, and at community-based testing sites. It also provides PEMA with the ability to leverage continued federal support such as non-congregate sheltering.

The renewed disaster declaration will continue to support all of these efforts, as well as allow PEMA to rapidly scale response efforts and employ new intervention tactics, such as the administration of a vaccine.

The Department of Health’s Department Operations Center at PEMA continues to be active, as is the CRCC there.

Read the amendment to the emergency disaster declaration here.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard. Updates are released each Monday.

The update includes the following:

• Level of community transmission as a basis for the recommendations for Pre-K to 12 schools to determine instructional models.
• Cases that reported visiting a business among potential locations where exposures may have occurred.
• Updated travel recommendations.

The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts. The data available on the early warning monitoring dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent-positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19. This week’s update compares the period of August 21 – August 27 to the previous seven days, August 14 – August 20.

“Our percent positivity decreased again this week, representing the fifth straight week that the percent positivity has decreased,” Gov. Wolf said. “This is a testament that our actions are working, but we still have more work to do. The virus is still circulating, and we must continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings to keep our numbers low, stop the spread and allow more freedom.”

As of Thursday, August 27, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 4,165; the previous seven-day increase was 4,518, indicating a 353-case decrease across the state over the past week.

The statewide percent-positivity went down to 3.2% from 3.4% last week. Counties with concerning percent-positivity include Columbia (13.5%), Armstrong (8.3%), Perry (6.9%), Northumberland (6.7%), Potter (5.9%), Beaver (5.7%), Dauphin (5.3%), Fulton (5.3%), and York (5.0%). Each of these counties bears watching as the state continues to monitor all available data.

Community Transmission
As of Friday’s data, Columbia County was the one county in the substantial level with a known source of an outbreak fueling community transmission. The departments of Education and Health will speak with school district representatives in Columbia County to discuss the implications of this level of transmission.

For the week ending August 27, 22 counties were in the low level of transmission, 44 counties in the moderate level, with one with substantial transmission:

• Low – Bedford, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Clarion, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Juniata, McKean, Montour, Pike, Potter, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming
• Moderate – Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Susquehanna, Union, Washington, Westmoreland, York
• Substantial – Columbia

Business Visits
The Department of Health is providing weekly data on the number of individuals who responded to case investigators that they spent time at business establishments (restaurants, bars, gym/fitness centers, salon/barbershops) and at mass gatherings 14 days prior to the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Of the 4,536 confirmed cases reported between August 16 and August 22, 46 percent (2,093) provided an answer to the question as to whether they spent time at a business establishment.

Of those who did provide an answer, 13 percent, or 268, answered yes, they visited a business establishment 14 days prior to onset of symptoms:

• 50 percent (134) of those who said yes reported going to a restaurant;
• 25 percent (66) of those who said yes reported going to some other business establishment;
• 12 percent (33) of those who said yes reported going to a bar;
• 12 percent (33) of those who said yes reported going to a gym/fitness center; and
• 9 percent (24) of those who said yes reported going to a salon/barbershop.

Of the 4,536 confirmed cases, 47 percent (2,114) answered the question as to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event. Of the 47 percent, nearly 13 percent (272) answered yes to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.

Compared to data reported on August 24, this week’s data saw an increase in people who reported going to some other business (25 percent vs. 23 percent), and going to a gym/fitness center (12 percent vs. 8 percent). Numbers went down for this week’s data for people going to a salon/barbershop (9 percent vs. 12 percent) and going to a bar (12 percent vs. 17 percent). Numbers remained the same for those who reported visiting a restaurant (50 percent). The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event went up from nearly 12 percent to nearly 13 percent.

Case investigator notes included frequent mentions of visits to bars and restaurants among positive cases. To better understand this emerging trend, on July 13 contact tracers began asking more specific questions on the types of businesses visited and if individuals attended a mass gathering, defined as more than 250 people in attendance outdoors or more than 25 indoors.

The numbers above highlight business settings and mass gatherings as possible sites for transmission. With less than half of those asked about what types of businesses they visited or if they attended a mass gathering responding to the question, the department is reminding Pennsylvanians that it is essential that people answer the phone when case investigators call and to provide full and complete information to these clinical professionals.

Travel Recommendations
Also today, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, to add Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. No states were removed from the list.

It is important that people understand that this recommendation is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A concerning number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that involves quarantining.

Gov. Wolf continues to prioritize the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians through the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvanians should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regardless of in what county they live. This includes wearing a mask or face covering anytime they are in public. COVID-19 has been shown to spread easily in the air and contagious carriers can be asymptomatic.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today shared an update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data.

“In order to successfully mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we use proven public health strategies such as case investigations, contact tracing efforts and ongoing monitoring and rely on Pennsylvanians to do their part to answer the call,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We have a growing team of dedicated professionals equipped to do this work and truly make a difference, but we need our fellow Pennsylvanians to pick up the phone when they call, share where they went and who they came in contact with to complete a case investigation. We are all united in this together, so please make the right choice to answer the call, it will help to stop this virus in its tracks before it could affect more of our loved ones, co-workers or friends across the state.”

The contact tracing process is not possible without a case investigation by a public health professional. Between Sunday, August 16 and Saturday, August 22, there were 4,536 COVID-19 cases statewide and 78 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 24 hours of receiving the positive report.

During the case investigation, public health professionals spend 30 to 60 minutes asking questions to ensure all potential close contacts are identified. They collect information about who the case came in contact with and where they went while they were infectious. Information collected during the case investigation process is not shared publicly unless doing so would further the response.

After the initial case investigation is complete, contact tracing begins. Within that same time period, August 16 to August 22, there were 1,242 contact tracing staff working with local and county health entities, partner organizations and the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program within the Department of Human Services. The total number of contact tracing staff has increased by 132 since last week as new staff is hired and onboarded through a partnership with Insight Global.

Of the 1,242 contact tracers there are 71 volunteers, 10 care resource managers, and 30 contact tracing supervisors. These staff monitored 9,335 contacts that were identified during the case investigations.

You can find more information on the state’s contact tracing efforts and all available contact tracing positions at the Department of Health’s website here.

Pennsylvanians are reminded that mask-wearing is required when visiting businesses or in any setting outside the home where social distancing is difficult. Remember: My mask protects you; your mask protects me.

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.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19,

521 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 134,025

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 31, that there are 521 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 134,025 All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between August 24 and August 30 is 159,917 with 4,456 positive cases. There were 22,467 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 30. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

There are 7,673 total deaths attributed to COVID-19. No new deaths were reported. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

“The mitigation efforts in place now are essential as we protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, including our children as they start school and our loved ones in long-term care facilities,” 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. We know that the cases in schools and in facilities such as nursing homes are often a reflection of the spread of the virus in the local community. Together, as Pennsylvanians, we each have a part to play in working 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 10 cases who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 646 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 1,524,195 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 2% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 4% are ages 13-18;
• Nearly 10% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 38% are ages 25-49;
• Nearly 23% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 23% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 25-49, 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 August:

• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 19 percent of cases so far in August;
• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 24 percent of cases so far in August;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to nearly 20 percent of cases so far in August;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 13 percent of cases so far in August;
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 14 percent of cases so far in August; and
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 11 percent of cases so far in August.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 21,034 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,498 cases among employees, for a total of 25,532 at 929 distinct facilities in 61 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,189 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 9,627 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, August 30:

• Provided Pennsylvania State Police enforcement data.
• Called for paid sick and family leave.

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.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today advised that nine Walmart drive-thru and parking lot COVID-19 testing locations across the state will have a modified testing schedule during the week of August 31.

“When we established our testing strategy, we wanted testing to be accessible, available and adaptable and we are working to meet that challenge,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We value our collaboration with Quest Diagnostics and Walmart and thank them for their work to ensure Pennsylvanians have access to testing. All Pennsylvanians who believe they are in need of a COVID-19 test and meet testing criteria are encouraged to get tested today.”

The modified testing schedule comes as Quest Diagnostics, the laboratory test provider responsible for scheduling and processing COVID-19 tests in partnership with Walmart sites, is transitioning to a different online scheduling tool during the week of August 31. During and after the transition, Pennsylvanians will still be able to schedule testing through the Quest Diagnostics website at https://appointment.questdiagnostics.com/patient/confirmation.

The following four sites offering testing Monday through Friday will keep the same 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM schedule the week of August 31:

1. Walmart Supercenter pharmacy drive-thru, 355 Walmart Drive, Uniontown, PA
2. Walmart Supercenter pharmacy drive-thru, 2601 Macarthur Rd Relocation, Whitehall, PA
3. Walmart Supercenter pharmacy drive-thru, 2010 Village Center Dr, Tarentum, PA
4. Walmart Supercenter pharmacy drive-thru, 134 Daniel Kendall, West Brownsville, PA

The following nine sites that typically offer Monday, Wednesday, and Friday testing from 7 AM to 9 AM will only offer testing from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM on Monday, August 31:

5. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 20245 Route 19, Cranberry Township, PA
6. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 200 Kocher Lane, Elizabethville, PA
7. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 50 Newberry Parkway, Etters, PA
8. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 1355 E Lehman St, Lebanon, PA
9. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 100 Chippewa Town Center, Beaver Falls, PA
10. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 63 Perkins Rd, Clarion, PA
11. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 1665 N Atherton St, State College, PA
12. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 2501 W State St, New Castle, PA
13. Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 108 Washington Towne Blvd N, Edinboro, PA

The sites will resume their typical schedule beginning September 8. As a reminder, these sites will be open weekly to test up to 50 registered patients and the tests are being provided at no cost to Pennsylvanians.

Patients will create an account on Quest’s patient portal and answer some eligibility questions to determine if they meet the criteria to get tested. Registration is required one day in advance. Once a patient is registered, they are notified of a testing location within a 50-mile radius of them with available appointment times. The patient will schedule an appointment time, print a voucher and bring the voucher to the location with them to their appointment. Patients will be notified of their test results via email. The average turnaround time for patients to receive their test results is two days.  Physicians will call any patient who has a positive test result.

If symptomatic and asymptomatic Pennsylvanians in the impacted communities need testing from September 1-7, they can visit entities such as Rite Aid, CVS, Patient First, Walgreens and others for testing. Pennsylvanians can also be tested at hospitals, health systems, Federally Qualified Health Centers, health clinics and other locations. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

1. Fever
2. Cough
3. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
4. Diarrhea
5. Chills
6. Repeating shaking with chills
7. Muscle pain
8. Headache
9. Sore throat
10. New loss of taste or smell

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.

For more information on COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.