ReOpen PA rally smaller, still passionate, the second time around

May 15, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A sign at today’s ReOpen PA rally

A smaller, yet still passionate, crowd gathered on Friday in front of the PA Capitol building, as ReOpen PA held a second rally in a month protesting the state’s coronavirus-related restrictions.

Like during the first rally, many protestors carried homemade signs or scrawled messages on their vehicles that said things like “Stop Virulent Government” and “Jesus Is My Vaccine”—and there was no shortage of “Trump 2020” signs or people selling them.

But, despite a full, professionally organized publicity blitz, the crowd was about half the size of the first rally in April, which attracted upwards of 1,000 people. The parade of honking vehicles circling the Capitol Complex also seemed to have lost much of its punch.

The smaller gathering didn’t stop Jeff Sternly from declaring the protest a “major success in sending a message to the governor.” Sternly ventured down from Lackawanna County and said he also had attended the April rally.

“See all this people here?” he said, gesturing to the crowd. “They want their freedom back.”

ReOpen PA alleges that Gov. Tom Wolf, through his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, “has unconstitutionally denied citizens their basic rights” and “threatened the livelihood of all Pennsylvanians.”

In March, Wolf issued a “stay-at-home” order and required that all “non life sustaining businesses” close their physical locations to fight spread of the virus. Since then, his administration developed a three-color system for gradually reopening.

Today, 13 counties in the southwest portion of the state switched from “red” to “yellow,” thereby loosening some of those restrictions. Last week, 24 counties also changed to the yellow category.

The Harrisburg area remains in the most restrictive “red” zone, though Wolf has said that he would announce today that more counties soon will enter the yellow phase.

Today’s rally lacked the hours-long cavalcade of honking vehicles through downtown and Midtown residential neighborhoods, which marked the first event. On Friday morning, the city placed barricades cordoning off most of the Capitol district’s residential areas and limiting access between downtown and Midtown.

Many vendors sold pro-Trump merchandise at the rally.

It did feature a number of speakers who oppose Wolf’s measures, including Republican state legislators Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) and Rep. Russ Diamond (R-102).

Diamond, for one, led the crowd in a chant decrying Wolf’s actions, repeatedly saying they were a “complete and utter failure.”

“Putting 2 million people out of work and not making the unemployment system [work], so they can handle it, that’s a complete and utter failure,” he said.

Like Sternly, Diana Jackson of Berks County said that this was her second “ReOpen PA” rally and that she was prepared to return to Harrisburg if necessary.

“We need to go back to work,” she said. “That’s the bottom line.”

COVID-19 cases top 60,000 in PA, as day-to-day trendline continues to flatten

May 15, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the PA Department of Health lab in Exton

Pennsylvania today exceeded 60,000 total COVID-19 infections, though the number of new daily cases continued to be below 1,000.

The state Department of Health today reported 986 newly diagnosed cases as of midnight.

New cases in PA peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 cases, but have shown a gradual, relatively steady decline since. The state has reported fewer than 1,000 new cases all week.

Of the new cases today, 260 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

With the additional cases, 60,622 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 183 cases (yesterday, 174)
Cumberland County: 492 cases (yesterday, 477)
Dauphin County: 912 cases (yesterday, 895)
Franklin County: 580 cases (yesterday, 563)
Lancaster County: 2,428 cases (yesterday, 2,364)
Lebanon County: 863 cases (yesterday, 856)
Perry County: 36 cases (yesterday, 36)
York County: 828 cases (yesterday, 817)

Overall, 18.9 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department also reported 124 fatalities, meaning that 4,342 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease over the past two months.

The majority of new fatalities—95—were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

According to the department, 35 of the deaths occurred within “the last few days,” while 89 resulted from “the reconciliation of data over the past several weeks.” The department often has had to update fatality counts due to inconsistent reporting to the state and data conflicts.

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

Adams County: 6 deaths (yesterday, 5)
Cumberland County: 41 deaths (yesterday, 37)
Dauphin County: 41 deaths (yesterday, 40)
Franklin County: 17 deaths (yesterday, 15)
Lancaster County: 186 deaths (yesterday, 183)
Lebanon County: 19 deaths (yesterday, 19)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 16 deaths (yesterday, 15)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 15,835 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 5,697 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,004 and 608, respectively.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” heath Secretary Rachel Levine said.

Today, the state moved 13 counties in the southwest portion of the state into the less-restrictive yellow phase, joining 24 counties in the northwest and north-central parts of PA that moved to yellow last week.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 2,991, or 68.9 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 12,937 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,039 cases among employees, for a total of 14,976 at 550 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, 4,349 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 319,832 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 259,210 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 311,195 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
Nearly 6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 26 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.

“We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders,” Levine said. “I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

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

Harrisburg will mount barricades, limit neighborhood access for Friday’s “ReOpen PA” rally

May 14, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A map of Friday’s street barricades and the suggested protest route

Harrisburg plans to limit vehicular traffic tomorrow in and around the city’s Capitol district to prevent a planned protest from spilling into the residential neighborhoods.

The city will set up barricades at numerous intersections (see map with blue “x’s”) so that only local traffic will be able to enter the Capitol neighborhood and to limit the flow of traffic between the Capitol and Midtown neighborhoods.

“We respect the right of the protesters to make their voices heard,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “We ask them in turn to respect the rights of our residents to be safe in their homes and not have to put up with excessive disruptions to their daily routines.”

ReOpen PA, a group that opposes the business restrictions and stay-at-home orders put in place by the Wolf administration because of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to rally at the Capitol steps on Friday starting at noon.

Barricades allowing “local traffic only” will be placed at the following intersections, as well as other locations as needed, for the duration of the scheduled protests, according to the city:

2nd and North
2nd and Briggs
Forster and Susquehanna
Forster and Green
3rd and North
Forster and Penn

Harrisburg will also temporarily close the intersections at 2nd and Forster streets and 3rd and Forster streets, and encourage protesters to follow the demarcated route of 2nd-to-Forster-to-3rd and the Capitol steps.

During the first ReOpen PA protest, on April 20, many downtown and Midtown residents were upset and complained to the city after protesters drove through their neighborhoods for hours, blaring horns, shouting from vehicles and gridlocking traffic.

According to the city, the barricades are intended to prevent a recurrence, “in an effort to protect the city’s residential neighborhoods from the impact of excessive traffic and noise.”

At St. Stephen’s, the run may be off, but the “Race for Education” continues

May 14, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

An image from last year’s Race for Education. This year, the race is going virtual.

These days, everything seems to be virtual, and it’s no different for running races.

Many annual races, which usually double as fundraisers, are going online, including the annual Race for Education, sponsored by St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Harrisburg. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Friday’s event will look a little different.

While the city is used to cheering on St. Stephen’s students and faculty running through Riverfront Park, they will have to do so this year through their screens. Only a small group of faculty will run a course around the school. Students and other staff can join the race from their own homes by running around their neighborhoods, yards or living rooms.

“The Race for Education is one of the happiest days at our school,” said Head of School Ellen Hartman. “It’s a celebration.”

The theme this year is “A Day at the Races.” Each faculty member running will wear a different color to represent every grade.

Typically, students are joined by local sports teams’ mascots and neighbors, which dole out high-fives and applause. The school recognizes that it won’t be the same event as usual, but wanted to keep it for morale.

“In 22 years, they’ve never not had it,” said Bernadette Kaiser, the event chair. “That’s made it such a huge part of who we are.”

St. Stephen’s values equitable education for students with a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Because it is a small private school that gives large amounts of financial aid to students, the race is crucial in raising funds to offset their tuition cost. Each year, students send letters to friends and family in hopes of getting sponsors for the race.

Hartman explained how, each year, their goal is to raise $16,000. This year, she expects funds to be much lower.

“I’m scared,” she said. “Along with small businesses not being able to survive, I’m worried about small private schools.”

Kaiser hopes the school will be able to hold additional fundraisers in the fall to make up for less money coming from the race.

While funds may decrease this year, Kaiser actually thinks the number of spectators may increase. Having the Race for Education streaming on Facebook Live will make watching it more accessible for sponsors who live out of state or couldn’t come before, she explained. If all goes well, St. Stephen’s may consider live streaming the race in the future, as well.

Students, faculty and the community can’t be physically together this year, but they can still be there for each other.

“This is the one thing that really brings everyone together every year,” Kaiser said.

To sponsor a St. Stephen’s student or donate to the Race for Education, visit https://www.sseschool.org/race-for-education.

PA again ups COVID-19 fatalities; new case data remains stable

May 14, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Health Secretary Rachel Levine (right) at a recent press briefing

The commonwealth again increased the statewide fatality count from COVID-19, while newly diagnosed cases continued below 1,000.

The state Department of Health reported 275 more fatalities, meaning that 4,218 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease over the past two months.

The majority of new fatalities—191—were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

According to the department, 44 of the deaths occurred in the 24 hours ending at midnight, while 231 resulted from “the reconciliation of data over the past several weeks.” The department often has had to update fatality counts due to inconsistent reporting to the state and data conflicts.

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

Adams County: 5 deaths (yesterday, 5)
Cumberland County: 37 deaths (yesterday, 35)
Dauphin County: 40 deaths (yesterday, 39)
Franklin County: 15 deaths (yesterday, 13)
Lancaster County: 183 deaths (yesterday, 172)
Lebanon County: 19 deaths (yesterday, 19)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 15 deaths (yesterday, 14)

The department today also reported that 938 new cases of COVID-19 had been diagnosed as of midnight.

New cases in PA peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 cases, but have shown a gradual, relatively steady decline since. The state reported 707 new cases yesterday and 837 on Tuesday.

Of the new cases today, 269 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

With the additional cases, 59,636 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 174 cases (yesterday, 169)
Cumberland County: 477 cases (yesterday, 463)
Dauphin County: 895 cases (yesterday, 871)
Franklin County: 563 cases (yesterday, 545)
Lancaster County: 2,364 cases (yesterday, 2,325)
Lebanon County: 856 cases (yesterday, 849)
Perry County: 36 cases (yesterday, 35)
York County: 817 cases (yesterday, 803)

Overall, 19.1 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 15,624 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 5,583 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,000 and 587, respectively.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” health department Secretary Rachel Levine said.

On Friday, the state plans to move 13 counties in the southwest portion of the state into the yellow phase, joining 24 counties in the northwest and north-central parts of PA that moved to yellow last week.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 2,896, or 68.6 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 12,677 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,922 cases among employees, for a total of 14,599 at 549 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, 4,217 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 311,195 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 251,559 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 302,869 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
Nearly 6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 26 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.

Mourning in America: Pandemic has changed how we grieve, hold funerals

May 14, 2020 | by Susan Ryder

Wildflowers along the Susquehanna River

Funerals, once a time of gathering with family and friends, sharing memories and comforting, familiar foods, has become another way of life upended by COVID-19.

People are feeling this loss of community, with funerals now relegated to 10 in attendance in the Harrisburg area. The “yellow” phase, which allows for 25 attendees, still will create hard decisions for families.

“Rituals are built on community and holding each other up,” said Rev. Virginia Cover, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Camp Hill. “It’s a very difficult decision to make, who will be the 10 people.”

Susan Resavy, director of family services for Hospice of Central Pennsylvania, said people understand intellectually that this is needed, but it’s still emotionally heartbreaking.

“It’s not going to feel the same,” she said. “Acknowledge that this is really hard.”

Peter Stegman, general manager of Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Home of Harrisburg, said that, at times of stress, we look to be supported by others. When that’s taken away, “it’s confusing and overwhelming.” Gathering provides support through hugs and wiping away of tears, which is “not conducive to social distancing,” he said.

COVID-19 has also created a collective trauma. And this, accompanied by the death of a loved one, has exacerbated the anxiety that normally accompanies grief.

“A communal laying to rest is not happening, and full acknowledgement of grief is not happening,” Cover said.

Local funeral homes are working to assist families through this stunted process.

“In a world that is built on tradition, we are trying to encourage people to embrace new and creative traditions to help them connect to a greater network of relatives and friends,” said Stegman.

Those new and creative traditions include live-streaming funerals, allowing folks to virtually participate, and in Cover’s case, holding a home funeral.

Resavy said that, even with the ability to gather virtually, it’s healthy for people to plan a larger gathering for later.

“Whether it’s three months down the road or six months down the road, have the event,” she said.

Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Homes is permitting the delayed use of its facilities—letting family and friends hold larger gatherings when allowable.

“We don’t want them to feel as though they did what they did but regret it,” Stegman said.

Perhaps even worse is being told that a family can’t hold a funeral at all. A number of families have been told, erroneously, that they are not permitted to have a funeral right now, Stegman said.

Often, families arrive fearful over what they can and can’t do, Stegman said. So, he tries to focus families on what they can control.

“Who’s going to attend, how to include others, and where we are going to do it,” he said.

Cover pointed out that mourning is also put on hold for the extended family, friends and neighbors.

“People say, ‘I didn’t even get to bring a casserole,’” she said.

There are ways to support people in this harsh time of isolated grief. People can call and send cards or flowers.

The Hospice of Central Pennsylvania is “making a lot more contacts with families,” said Resavy. They are holding Zoom teleconferencing events and virtual support groups. Grieving people, she said, “should look for support in the community.”

Cover holds monthly caregiver and grief support group meetings on Zoom.

COVID-19 has altered the way that we live and has taken away milestone events for many, but traditional ways of mourning needn’t end completely.

“Plan something when you can,” Resavy said. “That’s what’s important. Then, at some point, do what you would normally do.”

For more information about Hospice of Central Pennsylvania, visit https://hospiceofcentralpa.org.

To contact Grace Lutheran Church about its Caregiver and Grief Support Group, email [email protected].

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 14, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

Hey hey, you might not know it, but IT’S THE WEEKEND (almost, I mean I guess it depends). For your Friday (TOMORROW), plan ahead and go get some of Tröegs new Perpetual Beer Cheese (find it at Tröegs, Giant, or Caputo Brothers Creamery). Then grab your fave beer, then logon to our Virtual Happy Hour at 5 p.m. (Friday) to hear from Tröegs and Caputo Brothers and Pennsylvania’s own Madam Fromage to taste and enjoy the cheese. Oh, I’ll be moderating! Mostly eating cheese and drinking beer, tho. Otherwise weekend includes: garden + plant things + burgers on the grill. THAT’S IT! Ya know, besides laundry, cooking, cleaning, work, and toddler wrangling. CHEERS!

Top Picks:

Virtual Perpetual Beer Cheese Tasting with Tröegs + Caputo Brothers Creamy (Friday)
Weekend Chicken Smoke Out at Appalachian Brewing Co. Mechanicsburg (Preorder Thursday; pick-up 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!
Open Stage Digital Content
- Storytime Theatre – 12 p.m. Thursday/Friday/Saturday
- Thank You, Ten – 7 p.m. Thursday/Friday

More ideas

Bikes & Beers Social Distancing Ride to support local breweries (ongoing)
Sitting at Home Staring Out the Window – from now til eternity
ZooAmerica is doing Virtual Zoo Visits daily with different animals (Thursday and Friday)
If you’re missing live music, Jason Carst is doing live stream performances daily. Follow him on Facebook for updates.
Wyndridge Farm Store Drive-Thru (Thursday/Friday/Saturday)
Ted’s Midtown Virtual Trivia (Thursday)
Three Little Birds Boutique Virtual Happy Hour (Thursday)
Virtual Happy Hour with Mount Gretna Craft Brewery (Friday)
Creative Outlet with HBG Flea (through May 17)
Socially Distant Self-Guided Mural Tour of Harrisburg with Sprocket Mural Works (Daily)
Live with Elizabeth Shackelford: The Dissent Channel with Midtown Scholar Bookstore (Thursday)
3rd Annual Joggin’ 4 the Noggin 5k Run/Walk – Virtual (Saturday)
Wine and BBQ To-Go w/Blazing Swine with Cassel Vineyards of Hershey (Saturday)
Cristiano Winery Wine Pick-up (Saturday)
- More way to get local wine
Stock’s on Second Facebook Live Cooking Demo at 6 p.m. (Saturday)
- Pre-order your ingredients by Thursday to follow along!
Dauphin County Virtual Wetlands Festival (Saturday, ongoing)

Top picks to-go/delivery

Need wine? Click here.
Need booze? Click here.
Need beer? Click here.
Need cocktail? Yeah, I got that too.
Brunch? For serious. Click here.
Wait, what about coffee, kombucha, tea, juice? Got you!
Find Carry-Out options here
Ways to give back

Boneshire Brew Works 4-packs and growler sales 4-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 12-4 p.m Saturday Order online Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works Food, to-go beer, spirits, canned cocktails – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Order online Appalachian Brewing Co. – Mechanicsburg Food take-out only 4-8 p.m Monday-Thursday; 12-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday Beer + spirits take-out only – 12-8 p.m. Daily at the Mechanicsburg location Call 717-221-1080 to order View menu Ploughman Cider Take-out cider a the Taproom 12-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday Online cider sales now available. HOLLA Spirits Spirits available to order online 20% of all sales go to U.S. Bartenders’ Guild COVID-19 Relief Program and other virus relief funds – Read more MoMo BBQ Co. Open for take-out and limited delivery, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family meals available. View menus on Facebook. Call 717-550-7995 R.G. Hummer Meats & Cheese OPEN during Broad Street Market Hours (See more below) Shop in-person or Call-ahead pre-orders 717-232-4150 Fresa Bistro Open for take-out and limited call-in delivery Call 717-216-8754 or use GrubHub Broad Street Market Open mostly normal hours; limited customer entry; some vendors closed – BUT – many offering online delivery

Raising the Bar Bakery – delivery available; order online
Sweet717 – delivery available; order online (local delivery is free!)
JB Kelly Seafood – open normal hours; delivery available
Radish & Rye – curbside pickup ONLY – Tuesday-Sunday
Full list of open vendors – Check individual stores/retailers for online/curbside/delivery options

Cornerstone Coffeehouse 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for carryout Limited food menu available There are more and more restaurants doing pick-up/delivery — check-in with your favorites.

Culture + Chill

Check out our Culture Vulture series – ways to experience life outside while, ahem, inside.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore Shop online here, plus SAVE 10% on used books with code SCHOLARSALE Shop new books through affiliate BookShop Enjoy virtual author events Midtown Cinema Purchase a gift card or renew your membership now to keep them going, then reap the benefits of your purchase once they reopen! Secure a future movie night for two – with two tickets, two small popcorns, two small sodas, and two bags of candy! Stash Vintage Shop online via Etsy All local orders free pickup or free delivery (over $35) Save 25% off your purchase of 2 or more items online, plus look for flash sales

Stay home + stay healthy!

New COVID-19 cases continue below 1,000 in PA, fatalities again revised higher

May 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the cover of TheBurg’s May 2020 issue. Photo: Justin Ward

New coronavirus diagnoses continue to sink in number, though the state again adjusted up disease-related fatalities.

The state Department of Health today reported that 707 new cases of COVID-19 had been diagnosed as of midnight.

New daily cases in PA peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 cases, but have shown a gradual, relatively steady decline since. The state reported 837 new cases yesterday and 543 on Monday.

Of the new cases today, 278 are in residents of nursing and personal care homes.

With the additional cases, 58,698 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 169 cases (yesterday, 167)
Cumberland County: 463 cases (yesterday, 461)
Dauphin County: 871 cases (yesterday, 851)
Franklin County: 545 cases (yesterday, 522)
Lancaster County: 2,325 cases (yesterday, 2,295)
Lebanon County: 849 cases (yesterday, 825)
Perry County: 35 cases (yesterday, 35)
York County: 803 cases (yesterday, 793)

Overall, 19.3 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The health department today also reported an additional 137 COVID-19-related fatalities, meaning that 3,943 Pennsylvanians now have died from the disease. The majority of new fatalities—94—were residents of nursing or personal care homes.

In addition, these deaths occurred over “the past several weeks,” according to the health department, not just the prior 24 hours. The department often has to update fatality counts due to inconsistent reporting to the state and data conflicts.

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

Adams County: 5 deaths (yesterday, 5)
Cumberland County: 35 deaths (yesterday, 33)
Dauphin County: 39 deaths (yesterday, 38)
Franklin County: 13 deaths (yesterday, 12)
Lancaster County: 172 deaths (yesterday, 168)
Lebanon County: 19 deaths (yesterday, 17)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 14 deaths (yesterday, 14)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 15,376 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 5,513 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 904 and 556, respectively.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Levine said.

This week, the state plans to move 13 counties in the southwest portion of the state into the yellow phase, joining 24 counties in the northwest and north-central parts of PA that moved to yellow last week.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 2,705, or 68.6 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 12,408 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,806 cases among employees, for a total of 14,214 at 543 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, 4,066 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 302,869 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 244,171 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 295,980 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
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
26 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.

Burg View: Worn-Out Welcome

May 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A man carries an American flag with “Trump: Making America Great Again” along N. 3rd Street during the April 20 “Reopen PA” rally in Harrisburg

So, here we go again.

On Friday, “Reopen PA” says they’ll be back in town, at the state Capitol, to protest the commonwealth’s lockdown orders and business restrictions, with no doubt the usual abundance of MAGA hats, pro-Trump flags and vendors hawking Trump/Pence 2020 T-shirts.

And, on its face, that’s perfectly fine.

They have a right, as do you and I, to protest and ask the government for a redress of grievances.

But here’s what they don’t have a right to do. They have no right to terrorize the residents of the capital city.

Nearly a month ago, during the first Reopen PA/Trump rally, protesters jumped off the back of a military-style vehicle, dressed in combat gear and began unloading guns off the rear of the truck.

They circled the Capitol building for hours in their cars and trucks, gridlocking several major streets, preventing us, as well as emergency vehicles, from being able to go anywhere.

They leaned on their horns all morning and all afternoon, creating unceasing, ear-splitting cacophony in our neighborhoods.

They open-carried enormous weapons through our quiet residential streets.

And the authorities just let it roll.

The Capitol and state police, of course, were vigilant in protecting the big, empty white building with the green dome.

As I covered the event, police shouted at me when they thought I had encroached too far from the sidewalk onto 3^rd Street—just as some guy waving an enormous American flag, which he had desecrated by writing, in giant letters, the word “Trump” on it, conspicuously marched down the middle of the road (pictured above).

That day, the residents of downtown and Midtown Harrisburg felt like sitting ducks, with little visible law enforcement—local, state, whatever—standing between us and some very angry, very well-armed people.

The irony was that then, presumably like this Friday, the subjects of the protest–the governor, the health secretary and most legislators–weren’t even in the capital city. The only people here were the residents, and we bore the brunt of the hate, anger and aggressiveness aimed at other people.

By choosing to live in Harrisburg, we know that sometimes we’ll be inconvenienced by this or that protest or demonstration. And that’s fine. That’s democracy.

However, we shouldn’t have to fear for our safety, either.

So, to the protesters—welcome to Harrisburg. Please respect our city, our regulations and the people who live here. And please limit your protest to the immediate area around the Capitol building. The “Golden Rule” applies. I’m pretty sure that you also don’t want eight hours of horns blaring, gridlocked streets and scary-looking dudes armed to the teeth wandering around your street or cul de sac.

And to our elected and law enforcement officials—you have a duty not only to protect the guys in the gray suits but to protect us. We have ordinances about noise, traffic, public disturbances, etc., in our neighborhoods. Please enforce them.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher/editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Harrisburg Council approves major Allison Hill project; mayor says city will follow state mandates in reopening

May 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A screen grab of Harrisburg City Council’s virtual legislative session on Tuesday

One of the largest housing developments on Allison Hill in recent years is slated to move forward, as Harrisburg City Council approved a plan for a multi-building project just off of Market Street.

On Tuesday evening, council unanimously approved the land use plan by TLC Cornerstone Renewal to construct 26 townhouses, a 24-unit apartment building and a community center in a five-block area bounded by N. 15^th Street, Walnut Street and Crabapple Street.

“This is such a blighted area,” council President Wanda Williams said during last week’s council work session, when the project was discussed. “It certainly will enhance this area.”

At that work session, developer Tarik Casteel, president of TLC, told council members that he hopes to break ground in the early fall on the $14.7 million affordable housing project on the 2.1-acre site.

“This project will be big in this community,” he said. “It’s definitely needed, not just in this community but in several areas of the city of Harrisburg.”

A rendering of TLC’s planned project for Allison Hill

Nearly two years ago, TLC cut the ribbon on its first big project, the 20-unit Harrisburg Uptown Building (HUB) and the HUB Veteran Housing Campus.

Casteel told council that the new Allison Hill project would be just the first phase of a three-phase project for the area. He expects a 16-month construction period for the first phase.

“In Allison Hill, there is definitely a need,” he said. “This was one of the worst areas of the city. That’s why we wanted to come into this area, because it is the worst.”

In other action, council approved the distribution of federal housing funds to city-based nonprofits. Recipients of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding include:

A Miracle for Sure: $13,810
Center for Employment Opportunities: $13,810
Communities in Schools: $13,810
Heinz Menaker Senior Center: $14,000
Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC): $13,810
Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $13,810
Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network: $13,810
The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region: $25,000

The city also distributed federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to the following organizations:

Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness: $24,000
Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area: $63,000
Shalom House: $43,100
YWCA Greater Harrisburg: $50,000

Also at the meeting, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse made an opening statement, telling council members that the city would follow state mandates regarding business closures and stay-at-home orders, not the Dauphin County commissioners.

“I know I speak for all of us when I say we believe in the governor’s decision-making power, we believe in the Department of Health, and we believe in following those guidelines,” he said.

Several commissioners in central PA have threatened to unilaterally move their counties from the most restrictive “red” category to the less restrictive “yellow” category, which allows for greater freedom of movement and business operations. Locally, Dauphin County commission Chairman Jeff Haste issued a letter recently criticizing Gov. Tom Wolf and urging him to begin relaxing restrictions in the commonwealth and the county.

“I know that everyone is eager to get back to work and have the city reopen, but we have to let science guide us, we have to go slow, and we have to work collectively on this issue to make sure that we don’t have a relapse that ends up having us backslide even further and causing additional loss of life and harm,” Papenfuse said.

He added that, if the commissioners defy the state and move Dauphin County to the yellow phase, “we will not recognize that, the governor will not recognize that, and the city will remain in the red phase.”

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