New COVID-19 cases, fatalities largely unchanged from yesterday, says state

April 15, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

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

New COVID-19 cases and newly reported fatalities were largely unchanged from yesterday, as the disease appears to have plateaued in Pennsylvania for now.

The state Department of Health today reported 1,145 new positive cases for the 24-hour period ending at midnight, one fewer than yesterday. The department also reported 63 more deaths from the disease, compared to 60 yesterday.

Since the pandemic began in early March, 26,490 Pennsylvanians have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 647 state residents have died from the disease.

Today, it was confirmed that Harrisburg school board Director Gerald Welch, 56, died this morning from complications of COVID-19.

At a press conference yesterday, state Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said that she believed the “curve was flattening” in Pennsylvania, meaning that, while the number of cases continue to go up each day, the case count no longer was growing “exponentially.”

“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent,” she said.

Locally, Lancaster County now has reported 29 deaths from the disease, three more than yesterday, and York County now has four fatalities, one more than yesterday. As of midnight, deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: five in Dauphin County, four in Cumberland County, two in Lebanon County and one each in Perry and Adams counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 271 confirmed cases, 22 more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 131 cases, seven more than yesterday. Lancaster County has 914 cases, York County has 381 cases, Lebanon County has 349 cases, Adams County has 64 cases and Perry County has 17 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 7,347 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,475 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 132 and 82, respectively.

Statewide, 137,584 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 111,094 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 133,631 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:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
40 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
22 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.

“We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families, our community,” Levine said. “If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

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.

Harrisburg school board director, education reformer Gerald Welch dies from COVID-19

April 15, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gerald Welch speaks at a school board candidate forum last year at HMAC.

Harrisburg today lost one of its leaders in school reform, as Gerald Welch has died from complications of COVID-19.

Welch, 56, passed away after being admitted to the hospital over the weekend.

“It is a very sad day for Harrisburg,” said Chris Celmer, the district’s acting superintendent, in a tweet this morning. “Please keep the Welch family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Mr. Welch cared deeply for the students and staff of the Harrisburg SD.”

Celmer and district receiver Janet Samuels later issued a joint statement.

”We are truly saddened by the passing of Harrisburg school board director, Mr. Gerald Welch, a true champion for others,” they said. “We applaud and are extremely grateful for the unwavering support that Mr. Welch shared with the students, families and staff of the Harrisburg school district. As a true public servant, Mr. Welch was a passionate advocate for students and the broader community. The incredible manner in which Mr. Welch served and gave to others was a positive gift to our district.”

They added that Welch would be honored at a “special time of remembrance” at the district’s April 20 virtual board meeting.

Welch last year joined a group of five challengers pushing for substantial school reform following a series of missteps and scandals in the Harrisburg school district. All five candidates emerged victorious in the Democratic primary then won board seats in the November general election.

A year ago, in a series of candidate debates, Welch was vocal in urging the district to improve student graduation rates and ensure that more Harrisburg students went to college.

“I would like to see more college enrollment,” he said at one debate. “That’s the reason I got involved in the school board race, because we were lacking in graduation rates.”

At another debate, he told the story of his own life as a high school dropout who later earned a master’s degree in social work, and repeatedly encouraged the other candidates and the school community to treat one another with respect and empathy.

“If you treat everybody with dignity, honor and respect, you can deal effectively with having a diverse community,” he said.

TheBurg will update this story as more information becomes available.

Bob’s Art Blog: A Tribute to Joe O’Connor

April 15, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Up until yesterday morning, statistics that scroll across the TV screen, the daily newspaper compilations and the topic of much anxiety were only that. All that changed when we got the call that a friend had succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic.

Then it really hit home with a pile-driving force. The local art community and community at large lost one of its own. Joe O’Connor, one of Harrisburg and Camp Hill’s favorite sons, was taken on April 13 after fighting the good fight for days.

Just a mere 17 weeks ago, we had the good fortune to hear Joe read to a standing-room-only crowd at One Good Woman in Camp Hill. During that evening, Joe unveiled words of great insight and depth but, most of all, heart. You see, he had years honing those feelings for the love of his wife in business and in life. Holly was a match anointed for Joe from another realm. In a lifetime, if we are so blessed to find our soulmate, then our time here is rich and full. So it was with Joe and Holly.

Brooklyn-born in October 1941, Joe O’Connor was a member of the class of 1965 at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. Drafted out of college, he served in the Vietnam War for his country. After that, his life followed its own course as he worked full time. However, once retired, he returned to his other love, poetry. Writing professor Michelle Gil-Montero, who is also the editor of Eulalia Books, encouraged Joe to pursue a series of chap books. These handmade books were planned to become an annual spring event.

In 1947, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote a poem in the style of a villanelle, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” which addresses death. Its words resonate even more meaningfully today in the shadow of the global pandemic. The lines, “Though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning…” can never be said of Joe O’Connor. Taken from Joe’s preface, “Why Poetry?” not in the rhetorical sense but with introspective investigation in mind, “We must allow poetry to place us in a state of affirmation and acceptance and permit our vital life to emerge at least for a single moment.”

Those words of Joe’s are truly words to live by, always to the fullest each and every day, for life is a gift to be shared with those you hold dear. Do that in your daily walk and there will never be any regrets. We miss you already, Joe. Thank you for the words you left behind as your gift to guide us all in the days ahead.

Pictured: Joe O’Connor, with wife Holly, signing books at One Good Woman in December.

In virtual public meeting, Harrisburg council takes step to redesign, improve safety on State Street

April 14, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

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

Harrisburg took a step towards making State Street safer for pedestrians on Tuesday, agreeing to allocate money for a final road design.

City Council unanimously approved hiring civil engineering firm Wallace, Montgomery & Associates to complete the “State Street Rapid Response” design, including an expenditure of $57,500.

“State Street is the most dangerous street in the city,” city Engineer Wayne Martin told council members, who held their first legislative session in more than a month, conducted through Zoom teleconferencing technology.

Over a year ago, Harrisburg released its “Vision Zero” action plan for the city, with a goal of eliminating pedestrian deaths in the city. The initiative came after numerous pedestrian fatalities on city streets, especially on state-owned State Street on Allison Hill.

Harrisburg made improving State Street its number-one “Vision Zero” priority, but its plan was rejected at the district level by the state Department of Transportation.

Martin explained that the city then appealed directly to PennDOT’s top officials, including the former and interim transportation secretaries.

“We agreed on the configuration for the State Street corridor, a path forward, if you will,” Martin said.

Wallace Montgomery now needs to finalize the engineering design. The total project includes numerous changes to State Street, including a narrower road, bus stop improvements, new ADA ramps, new curbing and lighting.

“Narrowing that road and reducing the crossing distance for pedestrians is really what needs to be done, and that’s what finally everyone agrees to,” Martin said. “That’s what the public has known right away.”

The $57,500 design expense will come from the city’s engineering budget and includes design revisions, highway occupancy permits and the cost of a public meeting, Martin said.

The public meeting was originally slated for this month. Martin said that he now hopes for a June meeting, but added that the timing is uncertain due to continuing social distancing requirements.

The city, Martin said, still must firm up a final cost for the actual roadwork and identify funding sources. He said that he hoped to fund the project through state and other grant monies.

“PennDOT has not said they would pay for some of these improvements, but they haven’t rejected it either,” he said. “They left that door open. So, we will seek funding from PennDOT and other sources of funds.”

Martin said that he hopes the actual roadwork will begin in the late summer, but the timing depends upon lifting COVID-19 mitigation restrictions.

New COVID-19 cases in PA at lowest point in nearly two weeks, says state

April 14, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

New COVID-19 cases in PA showed the smallest daily rise in nearly two weeks, as the state health department reported 1,146 new positive cases today.

That figure represents the fewest number of new daily cases since April 1, when 962 new cases were reported. Last week, new cases approached 2,000 for several straight days.

Since the pandemic began in early March, the PA Department of Health has recorded a total of 25,345 positive cases.

“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent,” said state Secretary of Health Rachel Levine.

The department also reported that another 60 residents have died from the disease, bringing the fatality total to 584 Pennsylvanians.

Locally, Dauphin County has five fatalities and Cumberland County has four, one more than yesterday in both counties. Lancaster County now has reported 26 deaths from the disease, two more than yesterday. Deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: three in York County, two in Lebanon County and one each in Perry and Adams counties.

The virus has spread to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 249 confirmed cases, nine more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 124 cases, two more than yesterday. Lancaster County has 865 cases, York County has 371 cases, Lebanon County has 328 cases, Adams County has 63 cases and Perry County has 17 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases statewide with 7,121 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,354 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 131 and 76, respectively.

Statewide, 133,631 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 108,286 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 129,792 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:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 7 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 40 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
22 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.

March home sales, prices stable in Harrisburg area

April 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A home for sale in Harrisburg

Harrisburg area home sales remained stable last month, with sales units and prices mostly unchanged from the prior March.

For March 2020, 551 residential units sold in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties, compared to 558 units in March 2019, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). The median price increased to $180,000 from $175,000 over the same period.

In Dauphin County, 278 homes sold at a median price of $169,000 compared to 276 homes at a median price of $162,000 in the year-ago period, said GHAR. In Cumberland County, 242 houses sold compared to 255 the previous March, while the median price rose slightly to $205,000 versus $202,000, according to GHAR.

Perry County had 31 homes sales versus 27 a year ago, with a median price of $171,500 compared to $160,000 in March 2019, GHAR said.

PA health secretary warns against complacency as new COVID-19 cases, deaths fall from last week

April 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine (right)

COVID-19 cases in PA now exceed 24,000, though new cases and deaths from the disease continued to be fewer than last week.

The state Department of Health today said that 1,366 new positive cases were reported for the 24-hour period ending at midnight. That’s down significantly from last week, when nearly 2,000 new cases were reported for several consecutive days.

Yesterday, the department reported 1,178 new positive cases.

In all, the state has confirmed 24,199 positive cases in PA since the pandemic hit in early March.

Tomorrow may better indicate whether the lower case and fatality data represent a trend, as Secretary of Health Rachel Levine has said previously that some daily counts on weekends may be lower due to less frequency of reporting to the department.

The department also reported 17 additional fatalities from COVID-19, meaning that 524 people in PA have died from the disease.

Locally, Lebanon County now has two fatalities, one more than yesterday. Deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: 24 in Lancaster County, four in Dauphin County, three in Cumberland and York counties and one each in Perry and Adams counties.

“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent,” Levine said, in a statement.

The virus has spread to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 240 confirmed cases, 11 more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 122 cases, 12 more than yesterday. Lancaster County has 828 cases, York County has 331 cases, Lebanon County has 284 cases, Adams County has 56 cases and Perry County has 17 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 6,810 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,285 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 127 and 65, respectively.

Statewide, 129,792 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 105,593 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 124,890 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:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 41 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 21 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.

Latest data shows sharp drop in newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases in PA

April 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the PA Department of Health’s lab in Exton.

New COVID-19 cases in PA showed a significant drop today, as the state reported the lowest new-case count in more than a week.

The state Department of Health today said that 1,178 new positive cases were detected since yesterday, bringing the total number of positive cases in PA to 22,833.

Sunday’s new case data is significantly lower than in recent days, including 1,989 on Thursday and 1,751 on Friday. In fact, it’s the lowest count since April 1, when 962 new positive cases were reported.

The state also reported fewer fatalities, with 13 new deaths since yesterday, compared to 78 fatalities both Friday and Saturday.

Secretary of Health Rachel Levine has said previously that some daily data, especially on weekends, may vary due to the frequency of reporting to the department. Because today is a holiday, she did not answer questions on the latest update.

Locally, Lancaster County now has 24 COVID-19-related fatalities, one more than yesterday, and Dauphin County now has four deaths, also one more than yesterday. Deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: three in Cumberland and York counties and one each in Perry, Lebanon and Adams counties.

The virus has spread to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 229 confirmed cases, 16 more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 110 cases, Lancaster County has 772 cases, York County has 307 cases, Lebanon County has 270 cases, Adams County has 48 cases and Perry County has 16 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 6,352 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,164 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 128 and 63, respectively.

Statewide, 124,890 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 102,057 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 120,153 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:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
1 percent are aged 5-12
2 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 9 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 49 percent are aged 25-49
29 percent are aged 50-64
22 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.

“If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well,” Levine said, in a statement. “We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and also our healthcare workers and frontline responders.”

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.

COVID-19 cases exceed 20,000 in PA; fewer new cases for second day

April 11, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The state’s shaded map of positive COVID-19 cases for Saturday.

More than 20,000 Pennsylvanians have now tested positive for COVID-19, though the new-case count was down for a second straight day.

The state Department of Health today reported 1,676 new cases as of midnight. Since the pandemic began in early March, a total of 21,655 residents have been diagnosed with the illness.

Today’s new-case figure is lower than the count both yesterday and Thursday.

The commonwealth, though, reported that another 78 more people have died from the disease, bringing the statewide total to 494 fatalities. Yesterday, the state also reported 78 fatalities.

Locally, Lancaster County now has 23 COVID-19-related fatalities, two more than yesterday, and both Dauphin and Cumberland counties have now reported three deaths, one more than yesterday in both counties. Deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: three in York County and one each in Perry, Lebanon and Adams counties.

“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe.”

The virus has spread to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 213 confirmed cases, 14 more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 105 cases, Lancaster County has 698 cases, York County has 293 cases, Lebanon County has 232 cases, Adams County has 44 cases and Perry County has 16 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 6,022 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,053 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 130 and 60, respectively.

Statewide, 120,153 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 98,498 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 105,602 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:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 7 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 41 percent are aged 25-49
29 percent are aged 50-64
21 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.

“If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well,” Levine said. “We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and also our healthcare workers and frontline responders.”

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.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

April 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gamut’s theater in downtown Harrisburg

Life has become all-COVID, all the time, which is reflected in our news coverage, as well. This past week, we addressed the issue in several different ways, including breaking news, features and even in our monthly podcast. If you missed any of our stories, we have them all listed and linked below.

COVID-19 pandemic dominated the news once again, with the state’s grim press briefings a daily event. Click here to read the latest update from the Department of Health.

David Black, CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, describes his organization’s role during this unprecedented economic crisis and offers tips for small businesses. Read what he has to say, in a story that complements the monthly Burg Podcast.

Gamut Theatre scrubbed the remainder of its 2019-20 season, which includes the popular annual “Shakespeare in the Park.” As our online news story states, the theater will remain closed for public performances through at least Sept. 1.

Harrisburg businesses and schools were among the topics discussed during another of Mayor Papenfuse’s “Community Conversations” on Facebook Live. The pandemic has affected both greatly, and our online story focuses on what is being done to address these enormous challenges.

Harrisburg housing is a tough issue that seems almost impossible to resolve. But why is that? In his monthly column, our editor explores why the city can’t seem to address its housing shortage, whether affordable or market-priced.

PA schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year, the state announced this past week. This applies to schools of every stripe, which now need to find ways to educate students outside of the physical classroom. Our online news story has the announcement.

Religious communities have been forced to quickly adapt to societal isolation, made especially difficult during April’s numerous sacred celebrations. Our online feature describes how several local congregations are trying to adjust.

Sara Bozich spent another week at home, like most everyone else. Nonetheless, she’s plugging away at her weekly blog, which has suggestions for virtual activities and ways to support local businesses.

TheBurg Podcast, April edition, dropped this past week, featuring segments on how the pandemic is affecting local businesses and the arts community. Host Karen Hendricks also features a story on hiking locally and our editor’s “Most Harrisburg Thing.” Give it a listen!

UPMC Pinnacle offered advice on how to stay safe during that inevitable trip to the grocery store or while getting takeout. Read their recommendations in an online column.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not, subscribe here!

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