Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today provided an update on universal baseline COVID-19 testing in DHS-licensed personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities.

To date, 1,160, or 85 percent of these facilities have completed universal baseline testing ahead of the August 31 deadline. With the help of the Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) Program, these long-term care facilities are on pace to meet this deadline.

On June 26, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel 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 the Department of Health that completed initial universal testing as of July 24.

“Nearly 47,000 Pennsylvanians live in personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities, and co-occurring medical conditions and age may make them more likely to experience complications if they contract COVID-19,” said Secretary Miller. “This baseline testing and the partnership of our Regional Response Health Collaboratives are helping facilities better assess presence of COVID-19 in their facilities and what they need to do to keep staff and residents safe, and I am grateful for the collaboration and partnership to keep us on pace to meet this deadline.”

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.

The RRHCs have been integral to helping facilities complete testing and meet this requirement, supporting the nearly 2,000 nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living residences, and private intermediate care facilities in Pennsylvania and the residents they serve.

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. 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, 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 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, PPE support, testing to ensure PPE is properly fitted, and questions or concerns requiring consultation. Since launching, the six RRHCs, comprised of 11 health systems, have been assigned more than 2,500 missions, primarily covering testing, consultations, facility assessments, and support with PPE. Specifically, the RRHCs have conducted 45 total rapid response team deployments, with 40 of those completed at this time. The rapid response teams are comprised of registered nurses, clinicians, epidemiologists, and infection control experts.  Nearly 650 on-site facilities visits have occurred as the RRHCs work to assist long-term care facilities. The RRHCP call centers have received more than 500 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.

“Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 could arise at any point, and for people living and working in a long-term care facility, careful planning, quick action, and proper mitigation efforts could be the difference between isolated cases and an outbreak,” said Secretary Miller. “The Regional Response Health Collaboratives exist to be a resource to long-term care providers if they need real-time technical assistance and clinical support or to help fortify response plans so providers know they are not alone in this effort to protect the people they serve.”

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

Harrisburg, Pa. – Governor Tom Wolf is dedicating approximately $17 million to help 220 local education agencies (LEAs), including school districts, to improve educational services for approximately 180,000 students at schools designated for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

“While all schools have been impacted this year by the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools that have been identified under ESSA as needing extra support are facing additional challenges,” said Gov. Wolf. “This funding will help these high-need schools as they put systems in place to help students while we work to control the spread of this virus.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorizes governors to determine the educational use of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funds.

ESSA requires states to develop plans to designate schools for support and improvement based on the performance of individual student groups in key areas, including academic achievement and growth; graduation rate and English learner progress; and student success factors such as regular attendance and chronic absenteeism. Student groups include race, economically disadvantaged, English language learners and students with disabilities.

“Recognizing that COVID-19 response efforts, including building closures, are likely to exacerbate outcome gaps for historically underserved students, schools and intermediate units are encouraged to use these additional funds to accelerate efforts to engage local stakeholders and implement appropriate, evidence-based improvement strategies,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera.

Grants were calculated based on elements of the federal Title I, Part A formula, including the number of economically disadvantaged students and other school enrollment data.

Grant recipients will receive direct communication from PDE with eGrant application instructions.

To date, the Wolf Administration has awarded $87.5 million in GEER funding to help keep students and educators safe and meet the unique challenges of COVID-19. In addition to the $17 million for ATSI schools, the Wolf Administration has directed $15 million for special education, $28 million to postsecondary institutions and adult basic education providers, $14 million to K-12 schools to support equity in continuity of education, $10.5 million to Career and Technical Education Centers and $3 million for Preschool Early Intervention Programs.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs please visit the Department of Education’s website or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Harrisburg, PA – With an executive order that protects homeowners and renters from eviction or foreclose expiring Sept. 1, Governor Tom Wolf sent letters to the House and Senate urging the legislature to temporarily extend the existing moratorium and fix defects in Act 24 of 2020, a recently created program that helps renters and homeowners.

The governor re-issued the eviction and moratorium executive order in July; however, the Emergency Services Code does not allow for further relief related to temporary housing.

Act 24 enacted in May provides $150 million for rental assistance and $25 million for mortgage assistance. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency administers the program using CARES Act funds. However, the program is helping fewer people than intended, in part because of a $750 cap on assistance. The governor’s letter includes recommendations from PHFA to address the issues so the program can assist more Pennsylvanians as the commonwealth continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact.

“The General Assembly must act to fix these problems immediately to provide meaningful assistance to this vital sector of the economy and prevent the displacement of Pennsylvanians as we continue to fight the COVID-19 virus,” said Gov. Wolf. “The Legislature should raise the $750 a month payment to at least 130% of HUD limits which would actually assist landlords in higher cost areas, lead to greater participation in the program and increase the number of tenants assisted.

“In addition, the program should allow participants that need assistance to get rental assistance without being in arrears. Pennsylvanians should not have to forego food or medicine in order to remain current on rent and to be eligible for relief.”

The governor proposed additional relief for renters earlier today when he unveiled his fall legislative agenda. The governor is proposing an additional $100 million for the PHFA CARES Rent Relief Program. The assistance will continue to be made available in the form of a grant and funds will be paid directly to landlords or property owners.

The governor is also proposing $100 million to be divided between the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and a new emergency water/wastewater program administered by PENNVEST to assist residential customers who would be subject to termination of service when the current PUC moratorium on terminations is eventually lifted.

Read the governor’s letter to the House and Senate.

8 new COVID-19 cases added Tuesday in Lycoming County now at 492 cases and no new deaths with 20 total deaths, with 10,335 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19,

561 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 130,035

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 25, that there are 561 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 130,035 All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between August 18 and August 24 is 157,763 with 4,630 positive cases. There were 20,852 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 24. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

There are 7,605 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 26 new deaths 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 the new school year approaches and we work to ensure our children can get back to learning,” 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, 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.

There are 645 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 1,445,170 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
• Nearly 24% 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 August:

• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 18 percent of cases so far in August;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to nearly 18 percent of cases so far in August;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 12 percent of cases so far in August;
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 12 percent of cases so far in August;
• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 12 percent of cases so far in August.
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 10 percent of cases so far in August; and

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 20,798 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,411 cases among employees, for a total of 25,209 at 922 distinct facilities in 61 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,131 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 9,392 of our total cases are amongst 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 24:

• Provided Pennsylvania State Police enforcement data.
• Called on legislature to act immediately on COVID-10 relief and government reform.
• Shared update on COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring dashboard.

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.

Founded in 1939, Little League^® is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with approximately two million players (ages 4-16) playing baseball and softball in communities across every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Operated by more than one million volunteers, Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. From professional athletes and award-winning celebrities, to public officials and other influential members of society, Little League graduates have taken the lessons they learned, both on and off the field, to create the next chapter of the Little League story. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers^® display at our seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports. For more information, visit LittleLeague.org, and follow Little League (@LittleLeague) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

 

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today presented his fall legislative agenda for worker and family support and protections, COVID-19 recovery, and government reform. The initiatives were introduced to focus the General Assembly after a spring and summer of Republican efforts to curtail the administration’s efforts to manage the pandemic and keep the public safe.

“House and Senate Democrats have been fighting for progress to protect families and businesses in these spaces since the beginning of the pandemic, but they have been stopped at every turn by the Republican majority focused on ignoring the public health crisis,” Gov. Wolf said. “That must stop now. The legislature must come back and take immediate steps to provide funding to frontline workers and businesses, put in place protections for families and our workforce, and make these commonsense reforms that can provide confidence in our government. Pennsylvanians need relief, they need reform, and they need it now.”

Gov. Wolf called on the legislature to take immediate action on a series of proposals including:

Relief and Protection for Workers and Families
Families and workers throughout Pennsylvania are still struggling from the effects of COVID-19. The legislature must act to help provide hazard pay for frontline workers, more child care options, and safe workplaces for all Pennsylvanians.

Hazard Pay for Frontline Workers
$225 million to increase hazard pay to Pennsylvania workers, using the overall structure of the current PA Hazard Pay Grant Program administered through the Department of Community and Economic Development. This funding would cover a $3.00/hour increase for 208,000 frontline workers across the commonwealth.

Providing PPE to Frontline Workers
The governor is proposing $10 million for a PPE Reimbursement Program for employers to cover the cost of masks, face shields, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers and soaps, and other industry-specific PPE in accordance with the Department of Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.

Workers must have access to safety equipment and cleaning materials, and workspaces must be sanitized regularly to protect workers and customers. This program would provide grants of up to $5,000 in reimbursements for Pennsylvania-based small businesses with fewer than 150 employees, and for counties who make PPE available to election workers.

Expanding Access to Child Care
The governor is proposing a significant investment in child care, including $250 million for families with school-aged children in need of child care because of blended or remote in-person instruction models. The governor is also proposing $27 million to expand child care options in “deserts,” where few providers currently exist.

The governor’s proposal also includes $50 million in grants to part-day school-age programs serving low-income communities to support necessary health and safety updates and infrastructure to facilitate remote learning for school districts not returning to in-person instruction.

Paid Parental Leave for All Pennsylvanians
The governor announced the commonwealth’s new paid parental leave proposal, which will offer six weeks of paid leave to commonwealth employees who have been employed for a year or more. This leave will be separate and apart from any accrued sick or paid time off that the employee may have earned. The governor also called on the legislature to pass paid family and sick leave.

Helping Schools Deliver the Promise of Education
The governor is proposing $3 million for institutions of higher education to partner with local education agencies (LEA) to support educators during the 2020-21 school year. The goal of these partnerships is to provide targeted professional development and reduce learning gaps.

Providing Housing and Utility Assistance
The Pennsylvania Utility Commission (PUC) recently reported that at least 800,000 utility customers across the state are currently in active termination status and would be at risk of having their electricity, water, or gas shut off had the PUC not implemented a termination moratorium at the start of COVID.

The governor is proposing $100 million in grants to be divided between the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and a new emergency water/wastewater program administered by PENNVEST to assist residential customers who would be subject to termination of service when the current PUC moratorium on terminations is eventually lifted.

The governor is proposing $100 million to be used to expand the PA Housing Finance Agency CARES Rent Relief Program to provide additional financial assistance on behalf of low- to moderate-income renters experiencing difficulty making rent payments as a result of the pandemic. Assistance will continue to be made available in the form of a grant and funds will be paid directly to landlords or property owners.

The governor is also calling on the legislature to increase the current $750 per month cap on assistance to renters, which has limited participation in the program, by instead linking assistance to the federal HUD index.

Providing Recovery for Small Businesses
By providing hundreds of millions of dollars of additional grants and loans for Pennsylvania businesses, the legislature can take immediate action to help Pennsylvania’s economic recovery. The legislature should also provide relief for bars and restaurants by canceling the alcohol tax and allowing businesses to buy at cost. Over time, this funding can be supplemented by legalizing recreational marijuana and dedicating a portion of the funding to historically disadvantaged businesses.

Grants and Loans for Businesses
Gov. Wolf is proposing $225 million in forgivable loans and grants to small businesses in Pennsylvania through the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program. In addition, the governor is proposing $100 million in forgivable loans and grants for the hospitality, leisure, and service industries, including restaurants and bars, salons, and barber shops. This funding will provide critical working capital financing to the commonwealth’s small businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alcohol Tax Cancelation or Reduction
The governor is calling on the General Assembly to pass legislation to revitalize Pennsylvania’s hospitality, leisure, and service industry by offering alcohol-tax cancelation or reduction for six months, and allowing the hospitality industry to purchase alcohol at or near cost for six months.

Recreational Marijuana Legalization to Fund Ongoing Business Grants and Restorative Justice
The governor is calling on the legislature to legalize recreational marijuana with the proceeds going to existing small business grant funding. Fifty percent of the funding would be earmarked for historically disadvantaged businesses. Along with the call to the General Assembly to pass legislation legalizing the sale and use of recreational marijuana, the governor proposes that a portion of the revenue be used to further restorative justice programs that give priority to repairing the harm done to crime victims and communities as a result of marijuana criminalization.

Also, the governor wants the General Assembly to pursue criminal justice reform policies that restore justice for individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses.

Reforming Government, Protecting Elections
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the heightened need for government reform. Gov. Wolf knows we need immediate reforms to our election and voting systems so that people can vote safely, and broader government reforms so Pennsylvanians know that their state elected officials are working on behalf of them and not special interests.

Banning Gifts for Public Officials
Gov. Wolf banned members of his administration from accepting gifts and believes that all public officials should be held to the same standard. Pennsylvania is one of 10 states with no specific law limiting gifts to public officials. Outside the executive branch, politicians in Harrisburg can take unlimited gifts from special interests. The governor wants the gift ban he put in place to be made permanent and expanded so all state elected officials are accountable to it.

Curbing Special Interest Influence 
Pennsylvanians need to have confidence that decisions made by their government are made on behalf of constituents, not rewards for the special interests with the deepest pockets.

Campaign Finance Reform – Enacting new campaign finance laws that would place limits on contributions to candidates seeking elected office, implement aggregate limits for races, place sensible restrictions on Political Action Committees (PACs), and strengthen reporting and disclosure requirements across the board to restore confidence in government, and curtail the role of campaign spending in our political process.

Outside Income Transparency – Requiring public officials to disclose sources, type of work, and amount of outside income received.

Ensuring Safe and Secure Elections
The governor is asking the General Assembly for legislation to allow ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked on election day and received by the Friday after the election.

Also, he is calling on the legislature to allow the pre-canvassing of ballots 21 days before the election, while providing counties flexibility to fill vacant poll worker positions earlier than the five days prior to an election currently allowed.

The funds for these initiatives would come from the $1 billion in CARES Act funding that has been placed in reserves, as well as the revenue generated from the legalization of recreational marijuana, which will take an act of the General Assembly to become law.

“If we want our economy to become strong again, the legislature needs to take action now,” Gov. Wolf said.

(Click to watch video)

Says USPS is following standard procedure to ensure fair and efficient ballot delivery

Washington, D.C. – During Monday’s House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on “Protecting the Timely Delivery of Mail, Medicine, and Mail-in Ballots,” Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) explained that the hearing is nothing more than political theater, highlighting that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is well within its bounds to request operational changes to ensure efficient outcomes, especially for delivering ballots.

Congressman Keller also highlighted concerns regarding deadlines for applying for and returning mail-in ballots, as well as the USPS’ ability to ensure that ballots with pre-paid postage, like those that will be mailed to voters in Pennsylvania, receive postmarks.

On July 29, the USPS General Counsel sent a follow-up to a letter he sent in May to 46 states, including Pennsylvania, expressing concern that the states’ deadlines for requesting and casting ballots by mail do not fit with the USPS’ delivery standards.

Postmaster General DeJoy confirmed to Congressman Keller that there is precedent at the USPS for sending these letters to state election offices.

“This has been done in the past,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “We have intensified the effort to work with the election boards and to communicate with the election boards to help them gain more knowledge on what our processes are.”

Specifically, the USPS’ letter recommends that voters mail their completed ballots no later than Tuesday, October 27. Congressman Keller highlighted that the Pennsylvania election code—particularly the deadlines for requesting ballots—do not comply with USPS delivery standards. In order to comply with USPS’ recommendation, Pennsylvania would need to change current state law, which allows voters to request a ballot as late as Tuesday, October 27.

Congressman Keller asked Postmaster DeJoy if he agrees with the recommendation made by the USPS’ General Counsel to move the application deadline for mail and absentee ballots back—for example, to October 19—to ensure voters can receive their ballots in time to complete and return them no later than October 27.

“It would be best if the state election boards follow the recommendations of our General Counsel,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “I don’t know why we should take any chance other than have a properly integrated system between the election boards and the Postal Service.”

Moreover, Governor Wolf recently announced that Pennsylvania will cover the cost of postage for every mail-in ballot this year.

Congressman Keller noted that the Governor’s decision to pre-pay postage for ballots creates problems concerning postmarks and the state’s ability to ensure ballots were mailed by the deadline. On the day before Pennsylvania’s Primary Election, the Governor issued an Executive Order allowing six counties to count ballots received by 5:00 p.m. the week after Election Day, if the ballots were postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

“If Governor Wolf issues another Executive Order to count ballots returned a week late but are postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, it would be impossible for the state to determine whether mail-in ballots were truly sent by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day due to the lack of postmarks for pre-paid postage envelopes,” said Congressman Keller.

Postmaster General DeJoy acknowledged this problem and stated that the USPS is working to address it ahead of the November General Election.

“We are going to work to try and set up a process to postmark as much as much as we can,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “Currently, prepaid postage does not get postmarked. If we didn’t make a special effort to postmark prepaid mail, we would not be postmarking it.”

WASHINGTON — FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Pennsylvania for a FEMA grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow Pennsylvania to provide $300 per week — on top of their regular unemployment benefit — to those unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA will work with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to implement a system to make this funding available to Pennsylvania residents.

On Aug. 8, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the state of Pennsylvania agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19.

FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans.

To see a list of states previously approved for lost wages assistance, go to: https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/lost-wages-assistance-approved-states.

To learn more about FEMA’s lost wages supplemental payment assistance, visit: https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/fema-lost-wages-supplemental-payment-assistance.

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 will be released each Monday beginning today.

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 14 – August 20 to the previous seven days, August 7 – August 13.

“Our percent positivity decreased significantly this week, representing the fourth 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 20, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 4,456; the previous seven-day increase was 5,598, indicating a 1,142-case decrease across the state over the past week.

The statewide percent-positivity went down to 3.4% from 4.0% last week. Counties with concerning percent-positivity include Perry (9.1%), Huntingdon (7.8%), Northumberland (7.3%), Indiana (7.1%), Union (5.9%), Susquehanna (5.7%), York (5.5%), Beaver (5.3%), and Blair (5.0%). Each of these counties bears watching as the state continues to monitor all available data.

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

For the week ending August 20, 21 counties were in the low level of transmission, 45 counties in the moderate level, with one with substantial transmission:

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

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 5,649 confirmed cases reported between August 9 and August 15, 45 percent (2,541) 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 320, answered yes, they visited a business establishment 14 days prior to onset of symptoms:

• 50 percent (159) of those who said yes reported going to a restaurant;
• 23 percent (75) of those who said yes reported going to some other business establishment;
• 17 percent (55) of those who said yes reported going to a bar;
• 8 percent (26) of those who said yes reported going to a gym/fitness center; and
• 12 percent (38) of those who said yes reported going to a salon/barbershop.

Of the 5,649 confirmed cases, 48 percent (2,710) answered the question as to whether they attended a mass gathering or other large event. Of the 48 percent, nearly 12 percent (326) 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 14, this week’s data saw an increase in people who reported visiting a restaurant (50 percent vs. 47 percent), people who reported going to some other business (23 percent vs. 19 percent), and people going to a salon/barbershop (12 percent vs. 9 percent). Numbers went down for this week’s data for going to a bar (17 percent vs. 24 percent), going to a gym/fitness center (8 percent vs. 10 percent). The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event remained the same (nearly 12 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 remove Arizona from the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. No new states were added.

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.