Fosterthefoodie’s Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Local Gifts for the Food Lovers on your List!

November 19, 2020 | by Corinne Foster

From wine & pizza to sweets & treats, Fosterthefoodie has curated tasteful options to fit every budget!

The holiday season is just around the corner, and now more than ever, it’s important to shop local and support your favorite small businesses. With these 11 locally made goods, ranging from cider and cannolis to charcuterie and cookies, there’s something for everyone on your list. Trust me; in no time, you’ll have to find a gift for the foodies in your life, and you’ll realize that some of the best presents can come in small (business) packages!

Sweet717

Any candy lover will appreciate a gift basket from Sweet717! Create something special by mixing and matching some of Sweet717’s bestselling treats like the Festive Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Peppermint Dark Chocolate Nonpareils, Peppermint Fluffs, or my favorite – the Handcrafted Peppermint Bark Bars! Whether you’re grabbing a mix of festive treats or a box of their classic fudge, you’ll definitely find something to satisfy a sweet tooth!

Cornerstone Coffeehouse

Buying a gift for a coffee lover in your life? This year, give them something to make them feel close to chipper every morning: a gift basket from Cornerstone Coffeehouse! Nowadays, we have more time than ever to get serious about fresh grinds with the endless hours at home to drink it. So, give that special person in your life who cannot function without their coffee a new roast paired with bakery treats and a mug. Because an hour spent uncaffeinated is an hour wasted!

The Shoppe on Chocolate

We all have a person in our lives that loves to entertain, goes the extra mile for parties and really does it up for any occasion! You know the one: the hostess with the mostest. So, treat that entertainer to something they can help entertain you with this year – like a gift basket from The Shoppe on Chocolate. Gift them with a versatile tray that be can be used to serve drinks or hold food, pair it with some mulling spices to add a nice seasonal flavor to wine or cider and throw in some cheese markers for the finishing touch!

Tröegs Independent Brewing

For the biggest cheese lover on your Christmas list, a cheese sampler is a great way to treat them to their best present yet. This Beer Cheese Sampler from Caputo Brothers Creamery contains cheeses created with beers from Tröegs Independent Brewing – Mad Elf Beer Cheese, Troegentaor Beer Cheese, Perpetual IPA Beer Cheese and Cracked Elf. You can even add on some pepperoni from Salumeria Biellese to help create the perfect cheeseboard for an extra $10! It’s perfect for the beer lover or foodie in your life!

Wyndridge Farm

Raise a glass to celebrate the season with some amazing craft beverages from Wyndridge Farm! Hook up your boozy best pal or your classy coworker with some delicious hard ciders or some seasonal craft beers from Winding Path Brewing Co! Complete the gift with some Wyndrige Farm merchandise like koozies, glasses or clothing! This craft-beer gift will be everything you need to have a truly hoppy Christmas (sorry, I had to!).

Laurcuterie

What’s more impressive than a perfectly crafted charcuterie board? One that is made just for you! The Laurcuterie To-Go Box is perfect for any small gathering, whether you’re attending as a guest or hosting! The box includes a variety of meats, cheeses, produce, dip/spreads, nuts, pickled assortment, dried fruit and crackers, but can be customized just to your liking. This holiday season keep things simple and gift your charcuterie-loving friend one of these ready-to-go boxes!

Knead HBG

Is there anything more amazing than a sizzling pie fresh out of the oven? Look no further than Knead HBG! They now offer DIY Pizza Kits – complete with Pizza Dough, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese! For only $5, you can take the delicious goodness of a Knead Pizza to the comfort of your own home. It’s easy to make, cheap to buy, and even better to share with friends! It’s the perfect gift for every pizza lover on your list!

3700 Market Café

Celebrate the season by sharing one-of-a-kind bakery gifts everyone will love. Fill a gift basket with the best treats 3700 Market Café has to offer: mouth-watering brownies, cookies and decadent desserts galore! Comfort food is the fastest way to the heart, and during these unprecedented times, we could all use some holiday spirit! No matter what the holidays look like, 3700 Market Café will make sure there is something delicious to add to your gift list!

Grazery

Incorporating delicacies from Italy, Greece, Morocco and Spain, a Mediterranean gift basket is a healthy introduction to some of the unique flavors from this popular sun-drenched region. Grazery offers a selection of hand-picked Mediterranean pantry items that would be the perfect gift this holiday season! From olive oil, to forest honey and pistachio halva, you’ll find something for everyone’s taste buds! And – Grazery is now offering pre-made gift baskets to make it even easier to shop!

JB Kelly Seafood

Who’s ready for a seafood extravaganza? This may not be the year to take a trip to warmer weather, but why not bring a little bit of vacation into your kitchen with a seafood dinner for two from JB Kelly Seafood! Pick through dozens of offerings and treat your loved one with a meal they won’t forget – and enjoy it from the comfort and convenience of your own home!

Caputo Brothers Creamery

If you’re lucky, you have someone in your life who loves to bake. One super delicious and interactive gift is this DIY Cannoli Kit from Caputo Brothers Creamery! The kit comes with a 1lb. pastry bag of their housemade cannoli filling, made with their fresh ricotta, lightly sweetened, along with 12 mini cannoli shells. Think of it as a gift for them (and a gift for you)!

Stay tuned throughout the month on Fosterthefoodie for more info on each local business! And – if you make a purchase, make sure to say you found your present on Fosterthefoodie’s Holiday Gift Guide!

Fosterthefoodie is a food and drink blogger promoting the best dishes and drinks in Central PA for under $15. In less than two years, Fosterthefoodie has developed over 80 local partnerships and gained over 4,100 followers to become a top influencer in the Harrisburg region. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook!

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

November 19, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

If for some reason you need things to do this weekend around Harrisburg and central PA, we have some below. Recommended: virtual or outdoor events only.

Things on my agenda this weekend: Cooking and projects and cleaning.

For goodness sakes, stay home! ICYMI, you must now wear a mask when you’re around anyone who doesn’t live with you, indoors or out. Yes. Please order takeout, shop locally online, call places, and get information. Try to stay in as much as possible, and when out, please just be patient, calm, and abide by guidelines. Wash your damn hands.

For your weekend planning:

The perfect gift for your favorite home cook.
Order your Thanksgiving Dinner Takeout
Check off some items safely from our Fall Bucket List.
Passionate about Pa. food? Support PA Eats on Friday during the Extra Give.
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are ample options for your weekend. Moving forward, virtual and takeout-type events will be highlighted at the top of each day’s list.

Are you on the email list?

Top Weekend Recs

Pre-order your Turkey from RG Hummer
Grab delicious local cheese from Revittle Market
Drink PA cider! Ploughman Cider delivers to your door.
Tattered Flag ships beer and spirits faster than Prime! Two words: Canned. Cocktails.
Watch Poured in PA: The Series
Shop online with Meeka Fine Jewelry.

COVID-19 Disclaimer: As always, please click through the links or call ahead to get the most up-to-date information about venues and/or events below. It should also go without saying, but I’ll say it — Mask up, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Harrisburg School District provides Thanksgiving meals for homeless families

November 18, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Capital BlueCross employees and Harrisburg School District administrators unbox Thanksgiving meals at Marshall Math Science Academy.

Thanksgiving is coming early for some Harrisburg School District families.

On Wednesday, the district distributed over 200 Thanksgiving meals to 50 district families that are experiencing homelessness or displacement.

“We have had an increasing need for food in the school district,” said Marianne Peters, director of student services. “Food insecurity is a real concern.”

The district serves around 500 displaced and homeless families, according to Peters.

She added that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, more families have faced difficulties including homelessness and food insecurity.

The meals were donated by Capital BlueCross and Capital BlueCross Connect.

“We are very engaged with the community,” said Juan Maldonado, senior outreach coordinator for the CHIP program at Capital BlueCross. “We are very conscious about giving back to the community.”

Thanksgiving meals include turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and pumpkin pie. District administrators, counselors and social workers are delivering the meals.

Families were chosen by school counselors to receive meals based on their need.

Throughout the pandemic, the school district has been providing meals for families. Since August, they have offered breakfast, lunch and dinner grab-and-go meals two days a week for students and parents.

They have also expanded the program to include all schools as pick-up locations to increase access for families, said public relations coordinator Kirsten Keys. She is worried that, as the weather continues to get colder, it will be harder for families to make it to the meal pick-ups.

This Thanksgiving meal distribution is one way the district hopes to make things easier for families during a challenging time.

“It really warms my heart,” Peters said.

For more information about the Harrisburg School District, visit www.hbgsd.k12.pa.us/.

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CRW proposes small increases in water, waste fees; makes plans for 2021

November 17, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Capital Region Water works to repair a water main earlier this year in downtown Harrisburg.

Capital Region Water is proposing small increases to its drinking water and wastewater rates for 2021, while keeping the stormwater fee unchanged.

At a board meeting last week, CRW presented its budget plans for next year, which includes increases of 2% in the drinking water rate and 3% in the wastewater rate compared to 2020.

The new stormwater fee, which was implemented just last month, would remain the same.

“We work very hard to find ways to keep the rates down while still doing what we need to do and, frankly, exceeding those things,” said board chairperson Marc Kurowski during the two-hour virtual meeting.

The board will vote on the new rates during a virtual meeting on Nov. 24, as well as on CRW’s operating and capital budgets for 2021.

Under the new rates, the drinking water charge would increase from $9.84 to $10.04 per 1,000 gallons. The wastewater rate would increase from $7.99 to $8.23 per 1,000 gallons. The new stormwater fee would remain unchanged at $6.15 per month for most residential customers in Harrisburg.

During the meeting, CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer described the current year as a challenging one for CRW, given the fallout from the pandemic.

She said that some costs increased, including for more personal protective equipment, while the utility’s revenues fell short by more than $2 million due to decreased water and wastewater use by commercial customers and a three-month delay in implementation of the stormwater fee.

That loss will not immediately be passed on to customers, but will be paid off over time, according to Douglas Keith, CRW’s chief financial officer.

Looking ahead, Keith said that he anticipates similar small increases to drinking water and wastewater rates over the next several years, as CRW tries to keep increases more stable and predictable than in recent years.

CRW had planned to keep the stormwater fee unchanged through 2022. However, because the fee is new, CRW is uncertain about collection rates, which may affect fee decisions after next year, Keith said.

In non-budget news, CRW in 2021 expects to complete the move into its new headquarters at 3003 N. Front St., which was delayed due to the pandemic. Katzenmoyer said that she expects CRW’s new customer service center to open there in the spring.

CRW also has several major capital projects on tap for 2021. These include green infrastructure stormwater projects in the South Allison Hill and Camp Curtin neighborhoods and the ongoing improvement of stormwater collection sewers throughout the city.

In addition, CRW expects to continue improvements to its Front Street interceptor, a century-old wastewater main that runs from Susquehanna Township to the Front Street pump station in Shipoke. That project involves the installation of new pipe liner to reduce leakage, failures and sinkholes.

Last year, CRW completed work in Uptown Harrisburg, which lined 1,765 linear feet of pipe in Riverfront Park from Shamokin to Emerald streets.

The project now will continue farther south, along the Susquehanna River through much of Midtown and downtown Harrisburg, lining another 14,000 linear feet of concrete pipe. Work should begin in late 2021, with a 12- to 18-month construction period anticipated, according to CRW.

For 2021, CRW also hopes to finalize its long-term control plan with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection. CRW has been operating under a “partial consent decree” with the agencies pending approval of a long-term plan to reduce the flow of wastewater into Paxton Creek and the Susquehanna River, the result of the city’s antiquated, combined stormwater system.

“Hopefully, during 2021, we’ll be able to return to normal operations, whatever that might be as we move through the next process with the COVID pandemic,” Katzenmoyer said.

Click here to see the full video of the CRW board meeting.

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City presents Walnut, Chestnut street projects to improve safety, connectivity downtown

November 17, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Walnut Street in downtown Harrisburg

City engineers’ wheels are spinning when it comes to travel in Harrisburg.

At a pop-up event in Strawberry Square on Tuesday, City Engineer Wayne Martin and project designers presented their East-West Multimodal Connection Project to improve safety and multi-modal access downtown.

“We want to protect our most vulnerable pedestrians and bicyclists,” Martin said.

Sections of Chestnut and Walnut streets will see substantial construction, adding bike lanes, increased parking and sidewalk enhancements.

Parts of these corridors are listed on Harrisburg’s high injury network and are crash-prone streets, Martin said.

Besides safety reasons, Martin said the project has an economic aspect.

“Pedestrian and bike improvements tend to increase the amount residents stop at retail shops and restaurants,” he said.

The improvements will intersect with the Capital Area Greenbelt, Martin said, making bike travel through the city more efficient. People will be able to move more safely from the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge to Strawberry Square and the state Capitol complex, he said.

The Walnut Street portion of the project will extend from the pedestrian bridge on Front Street to 4^th Street.

Walnut Street concept

Walnut will be re-striped to include an eastbound contraflow bike lane and westbound sharrow markers, which indicate shared bike/vehicle lanes. For easy access from the pedestrian bridge, a bike-only crosswalk will stretch across Front Street.

A raised intersection will be constructed at Walnut and 2nd streets to slow traffic and improve pedestrian visibility. Sidewalks along Walnut Street will also be improved.

Between 3^rd and 4^th streets, Walnut will be widened to include a westbound bike lane in addition to the eastbound lane. There will be parking on both sides of the street, along with a bus stop.

Chestnut Street concept

Chestnut Street additions include re-striping for east and westbound bike lanes. Curbs at the 3^rd Street intersection will be extended to protect cars, and portions of the sidewalk along Chestnut will be reconstructed. A bus loading and unloading area will be added and a raised crosswalk at South Dewberry Street will be built. The Dewberry Street Loop will also be re-striped to include more parking.

The East-West Multimodal Connection Project is part of Harrisburg’s Vision Zero initiative to decrease pedestrian fatalities in the city.

Capital Area Transit, Harristown Enterprises, Harrisburg Housing Authority, the Department of General Services and the Downtown Improvement District collaborated with the city to provide input, Martin said.

The multimodal project is in the preliminary planning phase and construction is expected to begin in 2022.

Costs are expected to be around $1.4 million, and the city already has received $500,000 in grants for the project, said project manager Matt Shinton of Kimley-Horn engineering firm.

Martin is encouraging residents to complete a survey on their website to provide feedback on the project.

“We feel like we got a good collaboration with stakeholders, but ultimately we want residents to comment as well,” he said.

Other Vision Zero projects in the design phase include the “Courthouse Connection” project that will extend a pedestrian and bicyclist friendly corridor on Boyd Street from N. 3^rd to N. 6^th street. Martin said they are waiting on construction funding.

State Street improvements are also in the works to make one of the most dangerous roads on the east coast safer for pedestrians. The project, which includes a major “road diet” to reduce the number of travel lanes is fully funded and looking at a spring construction start, according to Martin.

Plans for 7^th Street feature a roundabout, which will be constructed near the new federal courthouse and a center median with street trees. Martin said that project is currently in the bidding stage.

A 2nd Street project to convert the road from one-way to two-way should be accepting bids by the end of the year, Martin said.

“It’s going to be crazy next year,” he said.

For more information on Vision Zero, visit visionzerohbg.com.

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Harrisburg School District postpones winter sports

November 16, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

File photo of Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer.

As COVID cases continue to spike, Harrisburg student-athletes are stuck on the sidelines.

Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer announced at a Monday night school board meeting that the district’s winter sports schedule will be postponed.

“We are going to continue to follow the data,” Celmer said. “What’s even more concerning about winter sports is that they are indoors not outdoors.”

Fall sports were also postponed at the beginning of the school year but geared back up in October as COVID cases decreased. However, after a football player contracted the virus, athletics were halted again.

Celmer said that the district wants to see a decrease in virus spread before considering resuming athletics and re-opening schools. The benchmarks include a three-week period of sustained testing positivity rates from 3 to 4% and incidence rates per 100,000 people below a rate of 50 in Dauphin County.

He also said that the district will look to see what the Mid Penn Conference has to say in the near future.

“We are going to continue watching the numbers in the coming weeks,” Celmer said.

For more information, visit https://www.hbgsd.k12.pa.us/.

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Harrisburg officials address rash of shootings, implore community for help

November 16, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Police Commissioner Thomas Carter speaks at a press conference on Monday.

Seeing an uptick of shootings in Harrisburg, city officials on Monday sent out a plea for the community to help stop the gun violence.

At a press conference, Mayor Eric Papenfuse and Police Commissioner Thomas Carter urged residents to show that they care for the youth in the city by working alongside the police to stop the shootings.

“We are actively trying to do something here, but we need community partners,” Carter said. “I see my officers out there teary-eyed trying to save these people’s lives. The only people I see out there are my officers.”

From Oct. 16 to Nov. 16, there have been 67 shots fired. Of those incidents, there were 24 victims and four homicides, Carter said. Recently, many shootings have involved youth.

“Right now, we are in the middle of a perfect storm,” Carter said citing the pandemic, as children are at home and not in school.

According to Carter, some of the recent shootings have been gang-related. He said Harrisburg participates in a county-wide juvenile gang task force to address the issue.

The Harrisburg Police Bureau has also received help from state, county and local law enforcement agencies, along with the federal government to combat the violence. Still, Carter said community participation is necessary.

“We can’t do much without the help of the public,” Carter said. “There’s no such thing as snitching.”

Kevin Maxson, CEO of activist group Voices for the Voiceless, said that he has been frustrated with the community, as well.

“You see all the commentary on social media, but you don’t see people out here,” he said. “The people with the opinions don’t do nothing but talk.”

Since 2016, Carter said that the police have taken 1,067 guns off the street, including handguns and assault rifles, among others.

“You’ve got to ask for help because I don’t know what is going on in each individual household within the city,” Carter said.

Papenfuse believes that part of the solution is more community policing in Harrisburg.

Last week he proposed a plan to beef up the community services department of the police bureau by creating 12 new jobs for “community service aides” who will assist officers and strengthen relationships with the community. Under the plan, Blake Lynch, currently community policing coordinator, would be promoted to director of community relations to oversee the civilian positions.

Papenfuse said that the city is also considering hiring a crime analyst, bodycam footage manager and records management system manager.

In total, the new investments will cost the city over $1 million.

“Far from defunding the Harrisburg police department, we are going to invest more than ever in it,” he said. “We are going to reorganize it and make it more reflective of the community’s needs and desires.”

The new positions will be voted on by City Council as part of the 2021 general budget.

“What we need to see in our community is respectful dialogue,” Papenfuse said. “We need to teach our youth to not resort to violence as a way of solving their issues.”

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

November 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

The Millworks restaurant in Midtown.

As COVID cases in the state continue to spike, we encourage you to be cautious and stay safe. While you social distance this weekend, catch up on this past week’s news below.

Black entrepreneurs in Harrisburg are starting businesses and pursuing their passions. Read our magazine article about a local jewelry maker, boutique owners and a handmade candle maker.

Bob’s Art Blog spotlights Bill and Russ and their collection of glass art, as well as a 5-year-old artist with work in the Art Association of Harrisburg’s “La Petite Exhibition.”

Cordier Auctions has three virtual events planned for this month, our online story reported. On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of artifacts from the estate of former Mayor Steve Reed will be for sale. A “Fine and Decorative Arts” auction with more Harrisburg-related items will take place on Nov. 21.

COVID diagnoses surged this past week in Pennsylvania. Since last Friday, the state recorded an average of 4,348 new cases per day, according to the state Department of Health. Find out more in our weekly pandemic report.

Fit on Market, a boutique fitness center opened in Strawberry Square, our online story reported. The gym offers new, state-of-the-art Matrix cardio and strength training equipment.

Harrisburg City Council passed a bill to create a Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, on Tuesday. The committee will review the actions of the Harrisburg Police Bureau, our online story reported.

Harrisburg’s mayor released bodycam footage of a confrontation between a resident and a police officer. A petition is circulating, calling for the firing of the officer, claiming he illegally entered the resident’s property. Read our online story for more information.

Harrisburg University held a virtual meeting for potential contractors, as it moves towards beginning construction on its 11-story academic building. HU hopes to improve opportunities for small and diverse businesses locally to participate in the project, our reporting found.

The housing market in the Harrisburg area continued to improve, with residential sales and prices rising last month. In October, 789 homes sold in the Harrisburg area, compared to 710 houses last year. For more information on the real estate market in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties, read our online story.

The Millworks restaurant in Midtown reopened this week, our online story reported. It was closed since July when a worker tested positive for COVID. Since then, The Millworks has invested some $10,000 in a new HVAC filtration system that removes airborne pathogens.

Open Stage is currently showing “Poirot Investigates!” as this month’s virtual play. The actors blend a cozy mystery, British comedy and French farce with one of Agatha Christie’s oft-repeated and longest-running characters, Hercule Poirot. Read a review on our website.

The November Podcast is out! Tune in to hear from Wendell Hoover of Iron Valley Real Estate, Sam Levine of Red Door Consignment Gallery and, of course, our Editor Lawrance Binda. Harrisburg takes center stage in this episode!

Sara Bozich has delicious ideas for your weekend, like grabbing a bite to eat from the Farm Show Fall Food Fest or dining at the newly reopened Millworks. Check out her Weekend Roundup for more fun ideas.

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Harrisburg proposes civilian positions in police bureau to assist officers, serve community

November 13, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

With increased national and local attention around law enforcement, Harrisburg is proposing a measure aimed at lightening the burden on police, while better connecting with the community.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse announced on Friday a proposal for the city to create 12 new positions in the Harrisburg Police Bureau for “community service aides” to assist the police.

“In a time where it is difficult to recruit and retain police officers, the idea of having more civilians involved in assisting the department as a whole, I think, is a smart strategy,” he said in another edition of “Community Conversation with Mayor Papenfuse,” the city’s weekly Facebook Live event.

The aides would fall under the community services department of the bureau and would work alongside officers to engage with residents, assist the police with low-level calls, and help with report writing, among other duties.

“These positions are going to be an amazing opportunity for those who love to serve already,” said Community Policing Coordinator Blake Lynch. “We have a lot of people from churches, nonprofits and just members of the community that want to engage and want to help.”

Lynch said that other local municipalities have roles like this. He cited Lancaster, which has 40 civilian positions.

Currently, Lynch has been operating as something of a one-person show, the mayor said.

“I don’t just get calls for police-related matters, I get calls about Comcast, about parking and codes issues,” Lynch said. “Those officers are dealing with the same thing when they should be responding to those people who actually have needs that are life or death.”

Each community service aide would be assigned a policing district in order to develop relationships with the neighborhood. Lynch hopes the aides can help increase officers’ cultural competency by sharing their experiences.

The positions would be paid, Papenfuse said, and would include benefits and the possibility of career advancement. He said that anyone from a new high school graduate to a retiree could apply.

Additionally, Papenfuse said that he sees this as a way to encourage interest in law enforcement as a career path.

These positions must still be voted on by City Council as part of the 2021 municipal budget. Papenfuse said that applications wouldn’t go out until at least January.

He added that Harrisburg would be spending over $1 million annually for community policing, including the positions the city already has.

“This is a large commitment in resources,” Papenfuse said. “You will see an increase in funding for the police, but it is going to be focused on our community services.”

To watch past Community Conversations with Mayor Papenfuse, visit the city’s YouTube channel.

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COVID-19 diagnoses surge to new highs in PA over the past week

November 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

COVID-19 cases and tests, over time. Source: PA Department of Health

COVID-19 infection rates surged over the past week in PA, with the average new case count exceeding 4,000 per day.

Since last Friday, the commonwealth recorded an average of 4,348 newly diagnosed cases per day, according to the state Department of Health.

This compares to an average of 2,633 new daily cases last week, and 2,134, 1,641 and 1,397 new cases per day for the prior three weeks, respectively. This week’s totals are the highest new-case counts in PA since the pandemic began in March.

The department also reports that testing has increased substantially over this time (see chart).

Locally, diagnosed cases are now as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 1,468 cases (prior Friday, 1,288)
Cumberland County: 3,299 cases (prior Friday, 2,745)
Dauphin County: 5,924 cases (prior Friday, 5,367)
Franklin County: 2,996 cases (prior Friday, 2,546)
Lancaster County: 11,712 cases (prior Friday, 10,562)
Lebanon County: 3,957 cases (prior Friday, 3,503)
Perry County: 473 cases (prior Friday, 408)
York County: 7,869 cases (prior Friday, 7,072)

Today, the department reported 5,531 newly positive cases throughout Pennsylvania for the past 24 hours ending at midnight.

With today’s update, 254,387 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, an increase of 30,437 over the past week, according to the health department. Active cases total 72,790. Currently, 2,196 people are hospitalized in PA with coronavirus, compared to 1,599 last Friday.

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 47,109 total cases. Allegheny County ranks second with 19,129 cases, and Montgomery County is third statewide with 16,773 cases.

The department also reported an additional 249 deaths since last Friday, meaning that 9,224 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Fatalities totaled 191, 159, 168 and 149 over the prior four weeks, respectively.

Around central PA, COVID-19 fatalities now stand as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 37 deaths (prior Friday, 34)
Cumberland County: 86 deaths (prior Friday, 82)
Dauphin County: 200 deaths (prior Friday, 196)
Franklin County: 72 deaths (prior Friday, 62)
Lancaster County: 495 deaths (prior Friday, 488)
Lebanon County: 83 deaths (prior Friday, 72)
Perry County: 8 deaths (prior Friday, 7)
York County: 221 deaths (prior Friday, 211)

PA nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 6,052, or 65.6 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there have been 28,990 resident cases of COVID-19, and 6,028 cases among employees, for a total of 35,018 at 1,144 distinct facilities in 63 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 13,315 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 2,778,371 individuals have had coronavirus tests, with 2,523,984 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Last Friday, the state reported that 2,632,316 people had been tested for the virus.

The state reports a total of 4,647,108 PCR tests, which includes many people, such as health care workers, who have been tested more than once.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

About 1 percent are aged 0-4
About 2 percent are aged 5-12
About 5 percent are aged 13-18
About 13 percent are aged 19-24
About 36 percent are aged 25-49
About 21 percent are aged 50-64
About 20 percent are aged 65 or older

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. However, the health department has emphasized that, increasingly, younger people are being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The health department continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

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.
Wear a mask whenever out of your house.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Currently, we are providing a COVID-19 update weekly, each Friday, or as breaking news warrants.

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