United We Stand: “One Midtown” campaign aims to spur support of neighborhood businesses

April 24, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

The heart of the Midtown Harrisburg commercial district at N. 3rd and Verbeke streets.

Although National Small Business Week was officially postponed, that hasn’t stopped Midtown from celebrating this coming week.

On Saturday, Friends of Midtown launches its “One Midtown: Neighbors Supporting Small Business Campaign.”

Designed by the community group’s business committee, the campaign encourages neighbors to purchase items, food and gift cards from shops in the community in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. The mission fits with the nonprofit’s longstanding goal of economic development in the neighborhood.

“We recognize the intense pressure this is putting on small businesses,” Friends of Midtown President Annie Hughes said. “We want to motivate patrons to keep purchasing from them.”

As an extra incentive, Friends of Midtown is asking people to submit pictures via social media of receipts or gift cards from Midtown businesses. A drawing will be held once a week for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card. The campaign will extend through May 9.

“We see the community as great advocates for small business anyway, so we expect the Midtown community will really step up their game,” Hughes said.

Some businesses have already rallied around this cause, one being Note. Bistro and Winebar. Although they decided to close for the time being, they have encouraged customers to purchase gift cards.

“It’s nice that people are excited to get gift certificates,” owner Ruth Prall said. “It keeps us doing business.”

In addition to the campaign, Friends of Midtown is hosting a social distancing Earth Day cleanup Saturday morning. Community members are welcome to help pick up litter in Midtown while keeping a safe distance from others.

Friends of Midtown has been sharing information throughout the crisis about small business loans, food resources and government assistance programs.

“This is going to be a long road to recovery,” Hughes said. “We intend to continue to try to support small business. It’s vital to Midtown.”

The “One Midtown” campaign runs from April 25 to May 9. For more information, visit Friends of Midtown on Facebook or at friendsofmidtown.org.

Almost 100 more deaths attributed to COVID-19 in PA; 1,599 new cases statewide

April 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Nearly 100 additional Pennsylvanians have died from the coronavirus pandemic, the state Department of Health reported today.

According to the department, 98 residents died in the 24-hour period ending at midnight, bringing the number of confirmed deaths from COVID-19 to 1,492 since the pandemic began.

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

Adams County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
Cumberland County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 7)
Dauphin County: 19 deaths (yesterday, 16)
Franklin County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
Lancaster County: 74 deaths (yesterday, 72)
Lebanon County: 6 deaths (yesterday, 6)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 7)

Otherwise, newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases increased somewhat since yesterday.

The health department today reported 1,599 new positive cases compared to 1,369 yesterday. The new cases bring the statewide total to 38,652 positive cases since the pandemic began in Pennsylvania in early March.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 110 cases (yesterday, 95)
Cumberland County: 240 cases (yesterday, 229)
Dauphin County: 468 cases (yesterday, 445)
Franklin County: 164 cases (yesterday, 151)
Lancaster County: 1,451 cases (yesterday, 1,359)
Lebanon County: 575 cases (yesterday, 544)
Perry County: 25 cases (yesterday, 23)
York County: 563 cases (yesterday, 546)

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 10,507 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 3,525 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 272 and 208, respectively.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 903, or about 61 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 6,153 resident cases of COVID-19, and 726 cases among employees, for a total of 6,879 at 418 distinct facilities in 40 counties, according to the health department.

Statewide, 186,143 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 147,491 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 179,114 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
38 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 28 percent are aged 50-64
25 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. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

Secretary of Health Rachel 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 we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Levine said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

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

Most Harrisburg-area liquor stores will begin phone ordering, curbside pickup on Monday

April 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The Fine Wine & Good Spirits store in Midtown Harrisburg

The PA Liquor Control Board is adding hundreds more locations for curbside pickup, including many stores in the greater Harrisburg area.

As of this Monday, numerous local Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores will permit phone ordering and curbside pickup as the PLCB adds 389 more stores to the system.

The new list includes stores in downtown, Midtown and Uptown Harrisburg, in Kline Plaza and in Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Steelton and Hershey.

For the time being, stores will accept the first 50 to 100 orders placed each day, on a first-call, first-served basis, until fulfillment capacity grows.

According to the PLCB, orders will be accepted only through the store’s published phone number, not through email or voicemail. Customers then will pick up their order at curbside.

This past Monday, the PLCB opened curbside pickup to 176 locations, a number that will be expanded to 565 locations.

Curbside pickup orders are limited to six bottles per order, and credit cards are the only accepted form of payment. Orders will also be limited to one order per caller, per store, per day, and all curbside pickup sales are final.

Since phone ordering began, some customers have complained about an inability to get through to place an order.

“We acknowledge that Pennsylvanians are frustrated with busy signals and want broader access to wine and spirits,” said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden, in a statement. “So, after learning from our experiences this past week, we’ve made improvements to process orders faster, expand the hours we take orders by phone, and be more flexible in scheduling pickups, even the same day, if pickup appointments are available.”

Since Monday, when limited phone ordering began, the curbside pickup program filled 38,145 orders totaling $3.64 million, according to the PLCB.

Customers also can order online through the PLCB e-commerce site, with pickup at more than 100 locations. Customers have also complained of difficulty accessing the online site. According to PLCB, website access is randomized to avoid overwhelming the site with traffic.

Besides the state stores, customers can also buy alcoholic beverages at licensed wineries, distilleries and breweries, at many restaurants and taverns and at some supermarkets and convenience stores.

The PLCB today declined to give a date when its stores would reopen for in-person purchase. Last month, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all state stores closed as part of a shutdown of “non life sustaining” businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here for a full list of locations and here for PLCB’s online ordering site.

Be Our Friend: TheBurg launches “Friends of TheBurg” membership program

April 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

TheBurg staff, from left, Maddie Conley, Kelsey Tatge, Lauren Maurer, Larry Binda and Megan Caruso.

Today is a very special day for TheBurg.

Today marks the beginning of something we’ve been planning for a long time—our new membership program, Friends of TheBurg.

We began pondering a membership program some time ago, and, over the winter, seriously put the gears into motion, expecting to launch in May and June.

Well, as I’m sure you know, times have changed a lot over the past few months.

Originally, we had several reasons to start a membership program. We wanted to connect even closer with the central PA community and with our readers and fans, and we wanted a more solid platform on which to build an events business.

In addition, over the years, many people have asked me how they could help support TheBurg, since all of our products and services are free to the public. This seemed to be a good way for those who wished to contribute to our mission of serving this community.

Honestly, we never thought a membership program would be much of a moneymaker. If it did earn us a few extra bucks—fantastic. We put hiring a new reporter high on our wish list so we might be able to offer even better coverage of the greater Harrisburg area.

That financial component, unfortunately, now has become far more critical, which is why we decided to launch earlier than we had planned. The news business already was very challenged, and, since mid-March, all newspapers, including ours, have seen ad revenues drop precipitously.

So, if you can, I hope you’ll support us and become a “Friend of TheBurg.” Besides helping us survive this crisis, you’ll receive some great benefits.

A cool “Friends of TheBurg” tote bag, with original art by local artist Amie Bantz (pictured)
Your name listed as a supporter in every issue of TheBurg magazine, starting in June (with your permission)
An invitation to our launch party and to an annual Friends of TheBurg social
Free and discounted tickets to Friends of TheBurg events

We had hoped to have a social along with the start of the program, but, obviously, we can’t do that now. But I promise you this. Once this terrible time is over and we’re allowed to gather again as friends—when we’re able to talk and toast and enjoy one another’s company and our community—we plan to throw one heckuva launch party!

Click here to become one of the first “Friends of TheBurg!”

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

PA revises COVID-19 fatality data down; newly diagnosed cases follow recent trends

April 23, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf speaking about the COVID-19 emergency during a recent press event

The state Department of Health today ratcheted down its fatality count from the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the number of virus-related deaths by more than 200 people.

The department is now reporting 1,394 confirmed deaths, significantly fewer than yesterday’s count of 1,622 fatalities.

In a press conference this afternoon, health Secretary Rachel Levine said that the department lowered the number of “probable deaths . . . following further investigation.”

Recently, the department began adding “probable deaths” to its fatality data, meaning that COVID-19 is strongly suspected as a cause of death even though the person was not tested for the virus. That investigative process, Levine said, often is difficult and time-consuming and, sometimes, the state receives conflicting data from counties.

“At times, there are things we need to revise and possibly revisit,” she said. “This is one of those times.”

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

Adams County: 1 death (yesterday, 2)
Cumberland County: 7 deaths (yesterday, 6)
Dauphin County: 16 deaths (yesterday, 13)
Franklin County: 1 death (yesterday, 10)
Lancaster County: 72 deaths (yesterday, 86)
Lebanon County: 6 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 7 deaths (yesterday, 14)

Otherwise, newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases remained in line with recent trends, as the state reported 1,369 new positive cases. Yesterday, it reported 1,156 new diagnoses of the virus.

The new cases bring the statewide total to 37,053 positive cases since the pandemic began in Pennsylvania in early March.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 95 cases (yesterday, 92)
Cumberland County: 229 cases (yesterday, 207)
Dauphin County: 445 cases (yesterday, 422)
Franklin County: 151 cases (yesterday, 152)
Lancaster County: 1,359 cases (yesterday, 1,326)
Lebanon County: 544 cases (yesterday, 535)
Perry County: 23 cases (yesterday, 23)
York County: 546 cases (yesterday, 531)

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 10,090 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 3,395 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 271 and 204, respectively, both much lower than reported yesterday.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 849, more than half, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are now 5,679 resident cases of COVID-19, and 673 cases among employees, for a total of 6,352 at 408 distinct facilities in 39 counties, according to the health department.

Statewide, 179,114 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 142,061 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 171,956 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 39 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 28 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 25 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. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

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.

“If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others,” she said. “We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

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

This story was revised to add comments from Rachel Levine on the health department’s fatality data.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

April 23, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

Here’s to hoping your week was one with more good days than bad — I know we’re all on a rollercoaster.

My toddler is finally (finally?) starting to show fatigue of being around us boring old parents all the time, and even Paw Patrol isn’t as much of a lure. I’m going to have to start getting creative, because it seems like work is ramping up.

We’re seeing more and more food trucks in our ‘hood each week, which is cool. A local winery even did pickup and purchase alongside a food truck last night. If you’re a local winery or brewery interested in doing this, give me a shout.

Top Picks:

3 Crowlers for $15 at Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works (Thursday and Sunday)
MCSquared Movie Club at Lunch – Zombi Child (Thursday) with Midtown Cinema
MCsquared – movie club discussion: Crip Camp (Friday)
- Check out Midtown Cinema’s full list of on-demand films!
Open Stage Digital Content
- Angels in America Online – Friday/Saturday/Sunday
- Storytime Theatre – 12 p.m. Thursday/Friday/Saturday
- Thank You, Ten – 7 p.m. Thursday/Friday
#HBGBeerWeek Virtual Little Big Beer Fest (Saturday)
Virtual Streaming Secret Sunday UNDERGROUND with Ploughman Cider

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.
Online Educational Q&A sessions with The Burick Center for Health & Wellness (Thursday & Sunday)
Ted’s Midtown Virtual Bingo (Thursday)
Virtual Trivia Night! with Cassel Vineyards of Hershey (Thursday)
Boozy Bingo Livestream with ZerØday (Thursday)
Live with Martha Stewart and Michael Rips: The Golden Flea with Midtown Scholar Bookstore (Thursday)
Virtual Trivia with Mount Gretna Craft Brewery (Thursday)
Fruit Boots LIVE(stream) Good in the Dark! (Friday)
✓????’?： Bishop Briggs at Harrisburg, US | ●????????? (Friday)
Virtual Happy Hour with Hbg Beer Week & Dave Heilman with Mount Gretna Craft Brewery (Friday)
Virtual Mozzarella Class with Caputo Brothers Creamery (Friday)
Wyndridge Farm Store Drive-Thru (Thursday/Friday/Saturday)
Feel Your Boobies We TuTu For You! Virtual Event (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!
Friends of Midtown Social Distancing Earth Day Cleanup (Saturday)
Race Against Racism Virtual 5k (Saturday)
15th Annual Logan’s Run VIRTUAL 5k & Walk for Autism (Saturday)
Dauphin County Virtual Wetlands Festival (Saturday, ongoing)

Top picks to-go/delivery

Need wine? Click here.
Need booze? Click here.
Need cocktail? Yeah, I got that too.
Brunch? For serious. Click 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 MANY 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!

Harrisburg finances stable for now, rest of the year could be a “tough go.”

April 22, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An empty 2nd Street in downtown Harrisburg.

Harrisburg’s finances are relatively stable, a month after the COVID-19 health emergency ground the nation’s economy to a halt.

Bruce Weber, the city budget and finance director, today said that Harrisburg is better positioned financially to deal with the national economic calamity than many other municipalities.

“We are in a much better position than, I would say, potentially many cities right now that are facing the similar crisis as we are,” Weber told members of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), the state-appointed body tasked with approving and overseeing a five-year financial plan for the city.

Weber credited several factors unique to Harrisburg.

First, the city’s business mix, while service-oriented, is relatively stable, dominated by government, health care and professional services. Also, many of the city’s industrial and small businesses are regarded as “essential,” he said.

He contrasted Harrisburg’s situation with that of two nearby towns that have seen rapid economic growth in recent years. Derry Township, fueled by Hershey’s tourist attractions, has been dramatically impacted financially, while Lancaster—also reliant on tourism and closer to hard-hit Philadelphia—recently furloughed dozens of full- and part-time city workers, Weber said.

Moreover, Harrisburg went into the year with a balanced budget and a healthy fund balance, he said. The city is also saving about $50,000 a week after Mayor Eric Papenfuse implemented a hiring freeze in March affecting 38 unfilled positions. In addition, the city, as a self-insured entity, is realizing substantial health care savings because people are forgoing and delaying medical procedures.

Marita Kelley, the city’s Act 47 coordinator, said that her analysis supported Weber’s view.

“Fortunately, the city is in a good fiscal position in terms of fund balance,” Kelley said. “We give the leadership of the city a good deal of accolades for that.”

As of April 16, she said, the city had $33.9 million in its general fund and $6.6 million in its neighborhood service fund.

“I realize it’ll be a tough go in the next several months,” she added.

Weber agreed that the future was opaque, dependent upon unknowable factors, such as if the health emergency would end and when the economy would revive.

So, while the city’s first-quarter real estate tax receipts dipped only by about 4 percent, he said he was concerned about the rest of the year, especially employment-based revenue from the city’s earned income and local services taxes.

Due to the fluid situation, Papenfuse asked the ICA board to delay the deadline for the city’s final five-year financial plan until Oct. 31. The board agreed, but added that it would like interim financial updates for the next six months.

In other action, the ICA postponed two events it had announced for this year: a planned economic development summit and citywide “listening sessions.” Both may be rescheduled for later in the year if the pandemic eases and life returns to normal.

“The city must come through this and, ideally, it will be stronger and more resilient,” said Audry Carter, ICA chair.

Gov. Wolf outlines phased approach to re-opening businesses, lifting restrictions

April 22, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at a virtual press event on Wednesday.

Pennsylvania will use a three-color, three-phase system as it moves towards lifting stay-at-home orders and business restrictions, Gov. Tom Wolf said on Wednesday.

In an unusual evening press briefing, Wolf said that phases will be delineated by the colors red, yellow and green.

“We will not just be flipping a switch and going from closed to open,” he said.

To decide to move regions to a new phase, the state will use several metrics, including that a region shows fewer than 50 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the course of 14 days. The state Department of Health will also use criteria such as testing rates, the ability to investigate cases, contact tracing capabilities and proximity to high-risk settings, as well as a data tool developed by Carnegie Mellon University.

The entire state is currently in the red phase, which includes strict social distancing, non-life sustaining business and school closures, and building safety protocols.The state issued the following graphic to demonstrate the phase:

In the interim yellow phase, some restrictions on work and social interactions will ease while others, such as closures of schools, gyms, and other indoor recreation centers, as well as limitations around large gatherings, will remain in place.

The green phase will remove the remaining stay-at-home orders, but will still require people to adhere to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and state health department guidelines. For an example, Wolf said that a face-mask requirement may remain even in the green phase if recommended by these entities.

Most likely, the northwest and north-central parts of the state will be the first to move to the yellow phase, on May 8, Wolf said.

He added that it’s possible that, depending upon the spread of the virus, a region could be moved back into a stricter phase.

“We will be keeping a constant watch on our COVID-19 case figures,” Wolf said. “And I will caution that we may announce a target date that will have to be pushed back due to new cases, or we might reopen some area or some businesses only to have them close again if the virus begins to resurge.”

New COVID-19 cases show “flattened” curve; reported fatalities decrease

April 22, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the state Department of Health lab in Exton, Pa.

COVID-19 case data today remained in line with recent trends, as the state reported 1,156 new diagnoses of the virus.

The new cases bring the statewide total to 35,684 positive cases since the pandemic began in Pennsylvania in early March.

State Secretary of Health Rachel Levine has said that data over the past week show a “flattening of the curve” for new cases, which she says demonstrates that the state’s mitigation efforts are working.

“As we start to see the number of new COVID-19 cases decrease across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Levine said.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 92 cases (yesterday, 91)
Cumberland County: 207 cases (yesterday, 194)
Dauphin County: 422 cases (yesterday, 400)
Franklin County: 152 cases (yesterday, 143)
Lancaster County: 1,326 cases (yesterday, 1,295)
Lebanon County: 535 cases (yesterday, 525)
Perry County: 23 cases (yesterday, 20)
York County: 531 cases (yesterday, 517)

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 9,696 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 3,294 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 365 and 230, respectively.

The state also reported 58 additional deaths from the disease, bringing the total to 1,622 fatalities across the commonwealth. These include both confirmed positive and probable deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus.

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

Adams County: 2 deaths (yesterday, 2)
Cumberland County: 6 deaths (yesterday, 6)
Dauphin County: 13 deaths (yesterday, 11)
Franklin County: 10 deaths (yesterday, 10)
Lancaster County: 86 deaths (yesterday, 88)
Lebanon County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
York County: 14 deaths (yesterday, 13)

Levine has said that, sometimes, fatalities may show a drop in certain areas due to subsequent data showing the person died in one county, but actually lived in another county, which may be the case today for Lancaster County.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 845, or more than half, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are now 5,337 resident cases of COVID-19, and 617 cases among employees, for a total of 5,954 at 407 distinct facilities in 39 counties, according to the health department.

Statewide, 171,956 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 136,272 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 166,851 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 39 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 28 percent are aged 50-64
25 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. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

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.

New grant program teed up to help Harrisburg small businesses survive crisis

April 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A screen shot of Harrisburg City Council’s virtual work session on Tuesday

Impact Harrisburg will begin taking applications on Friday for a new “Business Stabilization Program,” a grant program meant to help city-licensed businesses weather the COVID-19 crisis.

At a virtual work session on Tuesday, Sheila Dow Ford, Impact Harrisburg’s executive director, told City Council that the program is meant to help small businesses and nonprofits pay their workers and their bills until economic activity resumes.

“The purpose is to help neighborhood businesses survive during the pandemic,” she said. “It is hoped that this assistance will help employers with emergency cash flow needs during this time and help retain and continue to pay employees where possible.”

The $1 million program will be jointly funded by Impact Harrisburg—a nonprofit set up as part of the city’s financial recovery program—and the city. The city’s $500,000 contribution will come from its “revolving loan fund,” a fund that once loaned money to private businesses in the city.

The new assistance program aims to provide eligible businesses and nonprofits that are under duress with “emergency” grants of up to $10,000. Businesses must have less than $1 million in annual revenue and demonstrate that they have lost at least 25 percent of their monthly revenue as a result of the crisis. Fifty percent of the fund will be directed to businesses with revenues of less than $500,000 a year, Dow Ford said.

“We are making a directed outreach to those businesses in the community that are the smallest of the small,” she said.

The grant can be used for various business expenses, including payroll, rent, utilities, vendor invoices and real estate taxes.

All city-licensed businesses, as well as nonprofits, are eligible, with a “strong preference” given to businesses owned by city residents and to businesses owned by women, minorities and other disadvantaged classes, Dow Ford said.

At the work session, council members seemed inclined to support funding the new grant program.

“I think an opportunity like this is needed in our community for small businesses,” said council member Ausha Green.

Council members asked several questions about ensuring accountability, and Dow Ford said that all awardees will have to legally affirm that they meet the eligibility requirements and will use the funds for the stated purposes.

The Impact Harrisburg board, not the city, will judge the applications, Dow Ford said. The board will make funding decisions around May 7, she said.

“Once we make these decisions, we will immediately begin to distribute the funds,” Dow Ford said. “We want to make this as fast and efficient and convenient as possible.”

City Council still needs to approve its contribution. The resolution doing so is expected to be on council’s agenda during its virtual legislative session next week.

For more information on the Business Stabilization Program, visit the Impact Harrisburg website.

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