COVID-19 diagnoses in PA continue long, steady decline

June 4, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A chart of daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. Source: PA Department of Health

New cases of COVID-19 mirrored recent days, with the PA Department of Health today reporting 537 new positive cases for the period ending at midnight.

This marks 25 days straight with new case numbers below 1,000 in Pennsylvania. Yesterday, the department reported 511 new cases.

With the additional cases, 73,942 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus..

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 263 cases (yesterday, 260)
Cumberland County: 657 cases (yesterday, 654)
Dauphin County: 1,404 cases (yesterday, 1,385)
Franklin County: 785 cases (yesterday, 782)
Lancaster County: 3,301 cases (yesterday, 3,267)
Lebanon County: 997 cases (yesterday, 994)
Perry County: 64 cases (yesterday, 62)
York County: 1,038 cases (yesterday, 1,037)

Overall, 15.1 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department also reported another 75 fatalities, meaning that 5,817 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Not all of these deaths necessarily occurred in the past 24 hours, as the health department constantly updates its data.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Cumberland County: 54 deaths (yesterday, 53)
Dauphin County: 87 deaths (yesterday, 85)
Franklin County: 38 deaths (yesterday, 37)
Lancaster County: 315 deaths (yesterday, 310)
Lebanon County: 36 deaths (yesterday, 34)
Perry County: 3 deaths (yesterday, 3)
York County: 28 deaths (yesterday, 27)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 18,888 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,351 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,359 and 702, respectively.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” health Secretary Rachel Levine said.

So far, the state has moved 57 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties into the less restrictive yellow phase, including all of the Harrisburg area except Lancaster County. By June 5, the remainder of the state will exit from the red phase.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 3,895, or 67 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,848 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,740 cases among employees, for a total of 18,588 at 611 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,601 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 490,884 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 416,942 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 481,674 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

“As counties move into the yellow and green phases, we must take personal responsibility to protect others,” Levine said. “Wearing a mask, continuing to maintain social distancing, and washing your hands frequently are all steps we can take to help protect others, including our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our essential workers and our healthcare system.”

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

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

June 4, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

Many restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries are opening to outdoor dining this weekend. Capacity is limited; be sure to call your favorite spot or visit Facebook (because why have a website that’s up to date) for updates and availability. Are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here. Summer’s here; it’s time to grill — Get your burger patties, steaks, chicken, and more at R.G. Hummer Meats + Cheese. You’ll also wanna stock your fridge with local beer and wine. Plus, we have some of the best places to get cocktails to-go (now that you can!) — and your best picks for local entertainment (virtually, of course).

Top Picks:

Need something pretty? Meeka Fine Jewelry is open!
An Iliad with Open Stage
Boneshire Brew Works opens for outdoor seating 12 p.m. Friday!
Food specials at Appalachian Brewing Co. (Friday/Saturday)
3 Crowlers for $15 at Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works (Thursday and Sunday)
Check out Midtown Cinema’s full list of on-demand films!
Grab some local brews and binge-watch Poured in PA: The Series free on YouTube!
Midtown Scholar Bookstore now offering curbside pickup.

Thursday

Enola Pop-up w/Philadelphia Hoagie & Cassel Vineyards
TMI Improv: LIVE Online! with Gamut Theatre Group
????????? Of Monsters and Men | √Liveᴴᴰ Show
2020 Virtual Capital Region Go Red for Women Event
Lisa Jewell with Megan Miranda: The Family Upstairs with Midtown Scholar Bookstore
The Greg Hodnett Foundation Race at BAPS Motor Speedway

Friday

An Iliad with Open Stage
Friday Nights at The Manor with Stock’s Manor
Beer, Bourbon, Beaujolais and Burgers – Virtual Event with Ad Lib Craft Kitchen + Bar
Dining in, OUTSIDE at Al’s of Hampden
Cherry Weekend at J & P Winery
Virtual Happy Hour with Poured in PA & Music- Dave Heilman with Mount Gretna Craft Brewery
Boomerang Bar & Grill deck opening
Outside Dining Open Friday at Arooga’s
Drive In Movie- “The Princess Bride” at Shank Park (Hummelstown)
Fairy & Folk Tales
Decked Out Live! with Lucille and The Wolf at The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey
Racehorse taverns patio opening Extravaganza
Welcome Back – Outdoor Seating Returns at St. Boniface Craft Brewing Co.

Saturday

Sunday

Aux Cord Wars with The Singers Lounge
Pop-Up Beer Garden at The Farm at Wyndridge

Top picks to-go/delivery

Need wine? Click here.
Need booze? Click here.
Need beer? Click here.
Need cocktails? Kits + premade options here.
Brunch? For serious. Click here.
Wait, what about coffee, kombucha, tea, juice? Got you!
Find Carry-Out options here
Ways to give back

COVID-19 cases in PA remain stable with 511 new daily positives

June 3, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the PA Department of Health lab in Exton

New cases of COVID-19 continued to level off in PA, with the state Department of Health today reporting 511 new positive cases for the period ending at midnight.

This marks 24 days straight with new case numbers below 1,000 in Pennsylvania. With the additional cases, 73,405 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus.

Of the new cases reported today, 92 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 260 cases (yesterday, 255)
Cumberland County: 654 cases (yesterday, 644)
Dauphin County: 1,385 cases (yesterday, 1,359)
Franklin County: 782 cases (yesterday, 781)
Lancaster County: 3,267 cases (yesterday, 3,218)
Lebanon County: 994 cases (yesterday, 980)
Perry County: 62 cases (yesterday, 62)
York County: 1,037 cases (yesterday, 1,028)

Overall, 15.2 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department also reported another 75 fatalities, meaning that 5,742 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Not all of these deaths necessarily occurred in the past 24 hours, as the health department constantly updates its data.

Of the newly reported fatalities, 24 were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Cumberland County: 53 deaths (yesterday, 52)
Dauphin County: 85 deaths (yesterday, 77)
Franklin County: 37 deaths (yesterday, 36)
Lancaster County: 310 deaths (yesterday, 306)
Lebanon County: 34 deaths (yesterday, 33)
Perry County: 3 deaths (yesterday, 3)
York County: 27 deaths (yesterday, 26)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 18,785 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,242 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,359 and 702, respectively.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” health Secretary Rachel Levine said.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 3,621, or 63 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,752 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,719 cases among employees, for a total of 18,471 at 611 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,557 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 481,674 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 408,269 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 472,255 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

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

PA will allow schools to reopen July 1; districts must develop safety plan

June 3, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s Lincoln School

Schools in PA can begin to re-open on July 1, though districts must have in place health and safety plans based on federal and state guidance.

The state Department of Education today gave school districts in all “yellow” and “green” zones permission to reopen on that date as long as they develop plans based on guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health.

By July 1, all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties should be in either the yellow or green phase of the state’s three-phase reopening plan. On Friday, all remaining red phase counties, mostly in the southeast portion of the state, are due to enter the yellow phase.

“The Wolf administration remains committed to the safety and welfare of students, faculty and staff, and any reopening plan must be rooted in these principles,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera, in a statement. “As school leaders resume instruction in the 2020-21 school year, the department recognizes the need for preliminary guidance to aid in planning for a return to in-person instruction, delivery of services, and resumption of extracurricular activities.”

According to the department, plans must encompass several elements:

identifying a pandemic coordinator or team to lead response efforts
steps to protect higher-risk children and staff
processes for monitoring students and staff for symptoms
guidelines for hygiene practices
processes for cleaning and disinfecting
guidelines for the use of face masks
protocols for social distancing
procedures for restricting large gatherings

The plans must be approved by local school boards and posted on the school or district public website before a school reopens. The plans must also be submitted to the state education department.

According to Rivera, the plans should be tailored to the unique needs of each school and reflect a comprehensive, community approach created in consultation with local health agencies.

The guidance applies to school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to create plans tailored to their unique needs and post them on their websites.

Postsecondary schools in the yellow and green phases can resume in-person instruction on June 5 following the development of a health and safety plan. The guidance applies to colleges, universities, seminaries, trade schools and adult basic education programs. Institutions must adhere to proper physical distancing guidelines and other general public health and safety considerations informed by guidelines released by the CDC and DOH, according to the education department.

“Educators, students and caregivers have done a remarkable job as we all navigate through this pandemic,” Rivera said. “Now we need to direct our energy to focus on how to resume instruction in the 2020-21 school year. We fully expect students to return to classrooms in some capacity and are confident that schools will use this guidance to build a framework that best meets the unique needs of their students and communities.”

Community Comment: Statement from UPMC Pinnacle Board

June 2, 2020 | by Douglas Neidich

UPMC Pinnacle is deeply saddened by the recent events in our nation and in our community. Although we are heartbroken–and the news can be dispiriting–we must together move forward and stand against racism in all its forms. Racism threatens our communities from within, and must be removed from our institutions, from our systems, and from our hearts if we are to live up to our ideals as Americans and to create the just society that we all deserve.

We hope that from this and far too many similar tragedies we can together learn lessons and address the issues — some broad and some very specific — in our society that will make it stronger, more just, more caring, and more sustainable.

UPMC Pinnacle has zero tolerance for hate and violence in our workplace and in our community, and we are committed to working with our neighbors and our staff to heal, to learn, and to come together to create positive solutions.

Our society needs healing. UPMC Pinnacle is profoundly committed to helping our community find that healing.

Douglas Neidich is chair of the UPMC Pinnacle board, on behalf of the board of directors.

Chain Reaction: Fractures in the global supply chain may spark new links, locally.

June 2, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

A screen grab of David Iwinski, who spoke at Tuesday’s webinar.

Fractures and breakdowns in the global supply chain—a pandemic-laced crisis—may actually present opportunities for south central Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector.

That was the topic of a Zoom webinar attended by about 100 area manufacturing, economic development and state officials on Tuesday. It was presented by two Pittsburgh-based experts on international business, Dennis Unkovic and David Iwinski, Jr.

“We see a domino-effect of implications… with much greater issues to come,” said Iwinski, managing director of Blue Water Growth LLC.

Understanding the reasons behind the supply chain breakdown requires a little background in China’s factories.

Iwinski, who traveled to China 65 times since 1985, described Chinese factories as mini-cities where employees not only work, but also live in dormitory-style housing. These mini-cities were shut down for the Chinese New Year holiday—a time when the Chinese traditionally return to the hometowns in an “extraordinary migration.” There are no unemployment benefits in China. Many workers remained in their hometowns, picked up new jobs, wary of returning to dormitory-style housing conditions amid the COVID-19 climate.

Meantime, factories are now trying to exist on 30 to 40 percent of their returning workforce while replacing and retaining the remaining 60 percent. Volumes are down and quality is down.

“These problems started to flow overseas, into shortages, masked by panic buying,” said Iwinski.

Just as Chinese factories started to ramp back up, the United States shut down due to the pandemic—“the last straw in decades of changes” between the two countries, Iwinski said.

So what does this have to do with south central Pennsylvania companies?

“We think there’s going to be a large-scale, simultaneous supply chain realignment,” Iwinski. “If all your supplies are coming out of China, you’re at extreme risk.”

They offered three critical pieces of advice. First, they cautioned business leaders to be pessimistic regarding forecasts of recovery from China. Secondly, they advised businesses to conserve capital and resources. And lastly, they implored attendees to either realign or re-shore their supply chains now.

Unkovic held up his iPhone.

“It’s made of 32 component parts from 11 different countries. This is the concern we have—companies relying on component parts are going to see shortages in the future—it’s going to keep them from creating finished goods,” said Unkovic, an international law partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP. “We think this is going to be an extremely tumultuous next three to five years.”

A screen grab of Dennis Unkovic

Both experts see a silver lining—an opportunity for Pennsylvania manufacturers.

“We want strong Pennsylvania companies and a strong Pennsylvania economy,” Iwinski said. “Timing is of the essence—we’re all coming to this realization, but capacity is not unlimited. So, there are lines to get into (other) factories—there are backups.”

Tina Weyant, founding executive director of the World Trade Center (WTC) Harrisburg, said it was critical to apprise regional companies of this situation because there’s never been a supply chain breakdown of this magnitude. But she hopes area companies are inspired by the opportunities presented.

“We have a generally strong manufacturing industry with a lot of knowledge, and we have the benefit of being very diversified, so I think we can ramp up, although it will be a challenge.”

There are currently 2,900 diverse manufacturers in south central Pennsylvania’s nine counties accounting for 16 percent of the workforce.

“In general, the region’s manufacturers got through the pandemic fairly well—a lot were able to stay open,” said Leigh Ann Wilson of MANTEC, a private, nonprofit organization based in York. “The concern is the next quarter, because sales drop off will happen.”

Leigh Ann Wilson of MANTEC

There are also pre-pandemic workforce issues.

“There are lots of jobs open,” Wilson said. “More people are able to stay at home right now due to unemployment funding—there’s not a huge incentive for them to return to work. But the jobs are there—highly skilled jobs.”

Two area manufacturers producing unique components for niche markets gathered valuable takeaways from today’s webinar.

“It was a great recap of the current global situation,” said Kerry Woods, sales manager at PR Hoffman, a Carlisle manufacturer of highly specialized components such as glass optics and silicon carbide semiconductors.

As many as 70 percent of PR Hoffman’s customers, accounting for $5 to $8 million in sales, are in exports to Europe, China, Japan and additional Asian markets. Their components are utilized in 5G networks, satellites, electronic vehicles and autonomous engineering.

Instead of having difficulties receiving component parts from Chinese manufacturers, they have the reverse problem—trying to retain their Chinese customer base.

“We’ve been operating in fire drill mode. We have many customers in China—we’re seeing the impact of their extended Chinese New Year holiday… we’ve had problems getting freight into China,” Woods said.

PR Hoffman’s 35 essential employees continued working throughout the pandemic. Woods said the company made many adjustments to align with health and safety guidelines.

Chris Tarsa, is president and CEO of C.L. Sturkey, a Lebanon-based manufacturer that is one of a handful of worldwide manufacturers for microtome knives used by hospitals and laboratories in biopsies and other medical procedures.

While his company is not reliant upon Chinese-produced components, it gave Tarsa pause in another area.

“It’s pretty clear that China is not the reliable business partner many think they are. We’re looking at putting our blades in China, but now I’m cautious as a result of today’s webinar,” Tarsa said.

Many area business leaders on the call asked about the strength of the American manufacturing sector.

“I believe based on a lifetime in international business that we’re sitting in the most innovative nation in the world—that’s based on us having the best universities in the world,” Iwinski said. “But the deeper reason—it’s culture. This country was formed by adventurers, malcontents, weirdos, risk-takers—it’s in our guts. In China, the nail that sticks up is hammered down. But innovation is our core and key. I know I’m on a soap box, but I love this soap box.”

For more information, see mantec.org and wtccentralpa.org.

New COVID-19 cases rise a bit, but remain within longer-term decline

June 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A chart of COVID-19 cases and tests in PA. Source: PA Department of Health

New COVID-19 diagnoses rose slightly on a day-over-day basis, but still continued a trend of long-term decline.

The PA Department of Health today reported 612 new positive cases for the period ending at midnight.

This marks 23 days straight with new case numbers below 1,000 in Pennsylvania. With the additional cases, 72,894 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus (see chart).

Yesterday, the state reported jut 356 new cases, but data has tended to be lower following weekends due to less reporting to the state health department.

Of the new cases reported today, 115 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 255 cases (yesterday, 250)
Cumberland County: 644 cases (yesterday, 635)
Dauphin County: 1,359 cases (yesterday, 1,303)
Franklin County: 781 cases (yesterday, 777)
Lancaster County: 3,218 cases (yesterday, 3,189)
Lebanon County: 980 cases (yesterday, 972)
Perry County: 62 cases (yesterday, 61)
York County: 1,028 cases (yesterday, 1,013)

Overall, 15.4 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department also reported another 100 fatalities, meaning that 5,667 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Not all of these deaths necessarily occurred in the past 24 hours, as the health department constantly updates its data.

Of the newly reported fatalities, 40 were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Cumberland County: 52 deaths (yesterday, 52)
Dauphin County: 77 deaths (yesterday, 74)
Franklin County: 36 deaths (yesterday, 35)
Lancaster County: 306 deaths (yesterday, 297)
Lebanon County: 33 deaths (yesterday, 33)
Perry County: 3 deaths (yesterday, 3)
York County: 26 deaths (yesterday, 26)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 18,703 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,172 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,346 and 696, respectively.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” health Secretary Rachel Levine said.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 3,597, or 63.4 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,660 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,696 cases among employees, for a total of 18,356 at 609 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,523 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 472,255 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 399,361 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 461,713 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

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

Let’s Eat: First “Saturday Nights in the City” to feature more than a dozen Harrisburg restaurants for outside dining

June 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Mangia Qui and Rubicon will be among the restaurants participating in this weekend’s “Saturday Nights in the City.”

Do you long for a hearty Tuscan ribeye from Mangia Qui? Can you practically taste an artichoke pizza from Cork n Fork or the shepherd’s pie from McGrath’s?

Then I have the news you’ve been waiting to hear for nearly three months.

These three are among more than dozen restaurants that will participate this weekend in the first “Saturday Nights in the City,” an outdoors dining event sponsored by the city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District.

Late today, the city released the first lineup of restaurants for the June 6 event. They are:

- Stock’s on Second
- Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
- Café Fresco
- Second Street Shawarma
- Sawyer’s
- Bourbon Street Saloon
- Zembie’s Sports Tavern
- McGrath’s Irish Pub
- Taste Buffalo
- Arooga’s
- JB Lovedraft’s MicroPub
- Federal Taphouse
- Mangia Qui
- Rubicon
- Cork & Fork
- Burger Yum
- Bollywood Bar & Grille
- The Brick Haus
- Los Tres Cubanos
- Taco Solo

Each weekend in June, Harrisburg will close down several streets to permit restaurants to set up tables and serve outdoors. These streets are N. 2^nd Street from Market Street to Pine Street and portions of North Street and State Street (see map).

“We know that businesses have faced challenges and struggles during this pandemic,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “I encourage residents to come support their favorite restaurants safely as we work together to get through these difficult times.”

This initiative will run on Saturdays for the entire month of June from 6 to 9 p.m. On June 13, Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar is expected to join the lineup.

“I applaud the efforts of the city of Harrisburg to allow for street closures on behalf of the struggling restaurant industry,” said Mangia Qui co-owner Staci Basore. “This will allow for much needed revenue as well as provide us an opportunity to integrate on-premise dining, in conjunction with our ongoing delivery and takeout platform. We will be measured in our approach with regards to the safety and health of our guests and staff.”

Since mid-March, restaurants have been prohibited from offering dine-in service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrisburg is now in the “yellow” phase, which allows for outdoors dining following certain state regulations.

As a result of the event, the following streets will be closed from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday:

2^nd Street from Market to Pine streets
State Street from Church to N. 2^nd Street westbound
North Street from Susquehanna to N. 3^rd streets westbound

Papenfuse said that the city plans to enhance police and security presence for the event.

First Dauphin County libraries to reopen on Friday

June 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library in Uptown Harrisburg

In a sign of society beginning to gear back up, the Dauphin County Library System today announced it would begin a phased reopening of its branches on Friday.

On June 5, the first four libraries will reopen:

East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Lower Paxton Township
Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, 200 W. Second St., Hummelstown
Elizabethville Area Library, 80 N. Market St., Washington Township

The libraries then will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The East Shore Area Library will also be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. A seniors-only hour is from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at all open locations.

The Elizabethville branch is the exception to this schedule, in that it’s closed on Monday.

According to a release from the library system, limited numbers of members at any given time can enter the buildings only to use the computers, which have all been repositioned to ensure social distancing. Members can also order books and other materials online and arrange for curbside pickup.

“As we reopen, the library is focusing on the safety of the public and our staff,’’ said Executive Director Karen Cullings. “We ask that all visitors wear masks, and all locations will have masks available for those who need them. We request everyone’s patience as the library works to maintain a safe environment while delivering vital services.”

Cullings said the reopening plan prioritized computer accessibility since the library often is a member’s only resource for internet service. Free Wi-Fi, which has been available outside at all locations since the lockdown began March 13, will remain accessible.

As conditions allow, additional library locations will partially reopen, Cullings said. All programs will continue to be offered only online through the library’s website and Facebook page, she added.

During this limited reopening, members wanting to check out items may request the materials online—either through BookAdvisor or the online catalog—choosing their preferred open location for curbside pickup. Members without computer access may request materials by calling 717-652-9380. Once they have been notified their materials are ready, members will have one week to retrieve their selections.

To guard against the coronavirus, the library will quarantine all returned materials for 72 hours. In addition to the computer stations between use, staff will clean all publicly accessible areas every two hours. Sneeze guards have been installed at all service points.

Additionally, all staff members are receiving training covering cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and at the start of each shift will have their temperature taken and answer health screening questions, Cullings said. Staff will also use gloves when handling items used by the public and when delivering materials for curbside pickup.

“From providing computers and internet access to educational materials for children unable to go to school, we know the vital role the library plays in our community,” Cullings said. “We are committed to balancing the need to serve the public with our responsibility to keep our members and staff safe.’’

State reports fewest new COVID-19 infections in more than two months

June 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the PA Department of Health lab in Exton

New COVID-19 diagnoses sank to their lowest level since late March today, with the state health department reporting fewer than 400 cases.

The PA Department of Health reported 356 new positive cases for the period ending at midnight.

This marks 22 days straight with new case numbers below 1,000 in Pennsylvania. With the additional cases, 72,282 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual, relatively steady decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus.

New case and fatality data has tended to be lower on weekends due to less reporting to the state health department.

Of the new cases reported today, 59 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 250 cases (yesterday, 251)
Cumberland County: 635 cases (yesterday, 629)
Dauphin County: 1,303 cases (yesterday, 1,277)
Franklin County: 777 cases (yesterday, 774)
Lancaster County: 3,189 cases (yesterday, 3,161)
Lebanon County: 972 cases (yesterday, 969)
Perry County: 61 cases (yesterday, 59)
York County: 1,013 cases (yesterday, 1,007)

Overall, 15.6 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department also reported another 12 fatalities, meaning that 5,567 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Not all of these deaths necessarily occurred in the past 24 hours, as the health department constantly updates its data.

Of the newly reported fatalities, most were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Cumberland County: 52 deaths (yesterday, 50)
Dauphin County: 74 deaths (yesterday, 73)
Franklin County: 35 deaths (yesterday, 35)
Lancaster County: 297 deaths (yesterday, 297)
Lebanon County: 33 deaths (yesterday, 33)
Perry County: 3 deaths (yesterday, 3)
York County: 26 deaths (yesterday, 26)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 18,517 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,093 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,320 and 686, respectively.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” health Secretary Rachel Levine said.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 3,557, or 63.9 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,545 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,663 cases among employees, for a total of 18,208 at 608 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,463 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 461,713 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 389,431 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 455,037 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

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

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