Tag Archives: Tom Wolf

April News Digest

April 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

“Gradual” Reopening Set for Early May

Gov. Tom Wolf has set a date of May 8 to begin a “gradual” reopening of the state’s economy, though he urged residents to continue practicing social distancing and other safety measures.

Wolf set that target date to begin the process of business re-openings, though he emphasized that ending the shutdown would be regional, likely beginning with the northwest and north-central regions that have shown relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“We’ve done the mitigation stage in a measured, commonsense way, and the plan is to move out of this stage in a measured, commonsense way,” he said.

The areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic would likely to be the last ones to have the business shutdown end.

“We’re going to do this on a regional basis,” he said. “If we open in a rural area, it doesn’t mean we’ll end the shutdown or stay-at-home order in a place like Philadelphia.”

Wolf also stressed that Pennsylvanians should continue measures such as staying at home and social distancing, even after shutdown orders end.

“If we go too quickly, this might be unsafe for people,” he said. “If we move too quickly, people may not want to go to work because they’re afraid, or may not want to go into a store to buy something because they’re afraid.”

Wolf also set six criteria for businesses to reopen, including:

Re-openings will be “data driven,” will be based upon “quantifiable criteria” and will be targeted and regional.
Before allowing businesses to reopen, the state will issue “guidance and recommendations” for employers and workers.
Reopening will necessitate the availability of “adequate personal protective equipment” and “diagnostic testing.”
Reopening will require a monitoring and surveillance program allowing the commonwealth to deploy “swift actions” for containment or mitigation.
Protections for vulnerable populations, especially at congregate care facilities and prisons, will remain in place throughout the reopening process.
Limitations on large gatherings unrelated to work will remain in place for the duration of the reopening process.

Wolf also set May 1 for the resumption of residential and commercial construction projects that have not been given an exemption under the current shutdown order. In Pennsylvania, the construction industry has been especially vocal in protesting the mandated closing of “non-life-sustaining” businesses.

State Street Redesign Funded

Harrisburg took a step towards making State Street safer for pedestrians last month, 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 through the virtual meeting.

Over a year ago, Harrisburg released its “Vision Zero” action plan for the city, with a goal of eliminating pedestrian deaths. 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.

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 last 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.

Schools to Remain Closed

Pennsylvania schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, the state ordered last month.

Gov. Tom Wolf said that the step was necessary to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“We must continue our efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus during this national crisis,” Wolf said. “This was not an easy decision, but closing schools until the end of the academic year is in the best interest of our students, school employees and families.”

Wolf first ordered schools closed in March, setting an early April reopening date. He then said that schools would be closed until further notice before the final announcement that they would remain shut through June.

The closure mandate applies to all schools, including public, private and cyber charter schools.

Wolf said that, although schools are closed, they’re “strongly encouraged” to continue to offer education in “the most appropriate and accessible ways possible,” whether through online or paper-based lessons.

Schools will stay closed until Wolf lifts his “stay at home” order and the state explicitly allows them to reopen, according to the PA Department of Education (PDE).

“As schools and communities adapt to the prolonged school closure, PDE will continue to work with our state, educational, and business and nonprofit partners to meet the needs of students,” said education Secretary Pedro Rivera.

Home Sales Stable

Harrisburg area home sales were relatively stable in March, with sales units and prices mostly unchanged from the year prior.

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.

So Noted

Artsfest is going virtual this year after the three-day live event in Riverfront Park was cancelled due to restrictions on public gatherings. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse asserted that that “virtual” Artsfest is expected only for this year, and the city intends to bring the event back to the park over Memorial Day weekend in 2021. Harrisburg’s other major summer waterfront celebration, Kipona, is still scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

Don McKenna has been named president of Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, the 300,000-square-foot, acute care hospital in Cumberland County scheduled to open in 2021. In this role, McKenna will oversee an initial workforce of about 650 full- and part-time clinical and support staff, with expectations that the workforce will grow to 1,000 within three years. McKenna previously was the president and chief executive officer of Jupiter Health in Florida.

Gamut Theatre Group last month cancelled all live events through Sept. 1. This includes June’s popular annual “Shakespeare in the Park” performances. Founders Clark and Melissa Nicholson said they made the decision out of an abundance of caution because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Impact Harrisburg and the city of Harrisburg last month launched a “Business Stabilization Program,” a $1 million fund that will provide up to $10,000 to city businesses that have lost revenue due to the COVID-19 emergency. Those interested in applying for a grant should visit www.impactharrisburg.org.

Open Stage went virtual last month, staging the first act of its production of “Angels in America” via a Zoom live-streaming event. The second act, titled “Perestroika,” continues this month on Zoom. For more information, visit www.openstagehbg.com.

Shannon Gority has been named the new executive director of the Pennsylvania office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Most recently, Gority worked as a consultant for both government and private industry and, before that, was the first CEO of Capital Region Water. She holds degrees from Juniata College and Penn State in civil and environmental engineering

In Memoriam

Gerald Welch, a director for the Harrisburg school board, died last month due to complications from COVID-19. Welch, 56, won his board seat last year, one of five challengers to emerge victorious as part of a reformist slate. Welch often stated his belief in the power of education, citing his own experience as a high school dropout who later would go on to earn a master’s degree in social work.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2454: M. Makinde to C. Grant & M. Rinaldi, $70,500

Barkley Lane, 2506: Seneca Leandro View LLC to B. Mehaffie, $88,900

Barkley Lane, 2518: B. & C. Smith to L. & B. Grotjan, $88,000

Berryhill St., 2106: E. Irby to P. Bates, $53,000

Boas St., 426½: M. Richards to N. Patterson, $142,000

Briggs St., 235: JLS Rentals LLC to U. Maillet, $190,000

Briggs St., 1919: G. Neff to C. Pizarro & L. Mendieta, $38,500

Chestnut St., 1911: S. Jawhar to C. & N. Ovalles, $45,000

Cumberland St., 1723: T. Hardison to K. Robinson, $85,000

Derry St., 2100: JOG Investments LLC to OC Highway LLC, $45,000

Derry St., 2606: S. Carper to DLK Properties LLC, $48,000

Emerald Ct., 2456: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to PA Deals LLC, $67,000

Emerald St., 221: M. Horgan to J. Gilchrist & N. Matrese, $144,900

Emerald St., 652: E. Vielle to D. Fernandez, $30,000

Fulton St., 1704: R. Ziegler to W. Ferguson, $143,500

Grand St., 915: H. Senior to A. & A. Zlogar, $104,000

Green St., 2015: J. Blouch to B. Koreny, $217,500

Greenwood St., 2116: Crist Holdings LLC to J. Valverde, $40,000

Holly St., 1947: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Co. & Green River Capital LLC to R. Grullon, $54,000

Hudson St., 1105: E. Nowlin to B. Barkdoll, $129,000

Hudson St., 1241: T. Poole to P. Oliverio, $130,000

Jefferson St., 2239: Dobson Family Limited Partnership to HBK Properties 1 LLC, $44,000

Lewis St., 421: K. Wakefield to J. Barber, $125,000

Linden St., 128: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to D. Vanlee, $30,500

Logan St., 2208: CR Property Group LLC to J. Lessley, $100,000

Logan St., 2415: T. Drazien to Z. & S. Shatto, $64,000

Luce St., 2304: L. & A. Scotto to CR Property Group LLC, $44,000

Market St., 1223: Crist Holdings LLC to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $30,000

Market St., 1615 and Argyle St., 10 & 12: R. & N. Ressler to N&R Group LLC, $90,000

Muench St., 202: L. & K. Martin to PD Estate Properties LLC, $85,900

Muench St., 211: J. Laubach to M. & H. Hess, $197,500

Muench St., 271: WCI Partners LP to C. Halpert, $107,500

N. 2nd St., 1701: C. Troutman & B. Jackson to SPG Capital LLC, $125,000

N. 2nd St., 2700: J. Norris to M. Norford & S. Bernard, $264,900

N. 3rd St., 1642: Saratoga Properties LLC to Heinly Homes LLC, $55,000

N. 5th St., 1730: E. Bish to M. Davis, $82,500

N. 5th St., 2206: J. Caputo Jr. to D. de la Cruze, $49,000

N. 16th St., 1008: Truemac Homes LLC to L. Storm, $82,000

N. 16th St., 1214: Susquehanna Valley Investment Properties LLC to F. Guzman, $42,000

N. Front St., 321: Clark Resources Inc. to 321 N. Front St. LLC, $450,000

N. Front St., 2515: 324 Mishika LLC to Penn Medical Real Estate LLC, $350,000

Peffer St., 221: C. Chapman to N. Laume, $123,500

Penn St., 2211, 2213 & 2219: WK Rentals LLC to PA Deals LLC, $210,500

Penn St., 2220: Limitless Possibilities Inc. to Inder Group Real Estate LLC, $40,000

Race St., 544: L. Fisher to Impact Access Inc., $87,500

Radnor St., 528: E. Chattah to G. Romero, $80,000

Royal Terr., 123: A. Eckert to NHP Real Estate Development LLC, $39,000

Royal Terr., 125: J. Holmes to El Pejano Trucking LLC, $32,000

Rudy Rd., 2237: F. Prunty to J. Flower & J. Shamitko, $192,000

Showers St., 624: K. Kearn to Z. Einhorn & C. Brinton, $94,900

S. 13th St., 1229: D. Leon to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $100,000

S. 18th St., 321: Golden Lover Realty LLC to Theodore Canton LLC, $37,500

S. Front St., 809: E. Revene to B. Lilly, $150,000

State St., 124: TKP Investments LLC to 122-124 State St. LLC, $195,000

State St., 231, Unit 402: LUX Rentals LLC to M. & M. Vaccaro, $121,000

Susquehanna St., 1210: E. & C. Seaman to SPG Capital LLC, $80,400

Swatara St., 2048: CR Property Group LLC to J. Niemuth, $100,000

Sycamore St., 1617: A. Quarles to CR Property Group LLC, $60,000

Vernon St., 1345: P. Aurelio & G. Ramos to Urban Lighthouse Ministries, $50,000

Wayne St., 1700: R. & D. Shepler to Tall Kid Re Holdings LLC, $128,500

Whitehall St., 2035: B. Burns to C. & N. Ovalles, $53,000

Wiconisco St., 611 & 2641 Agate St.: Stop & Shop Store to Thanos Ventures Ltd., $190,000

Woodbine St., 228: HCH Investments LP to Montalvo Investments LLC, $45,000

Zarker St., 1938: Saratoga Properties LLC to NHP Real Estate Developments LLC, $30,500

PA offers additional guidance, example of phased reopening of state economy

April 25, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at a recent press briefing

Gov. Tom Wolf today elaborated on the criteria the commonwealth will use for its phased reopening of the state’s economy.

The base metric, according to his office, is that a region will need to have fewer than 50 newly confirmed cases per 100,000 population reported to the state Department of Health in the previous 14 days.

So, for example, a region with a population of 800,000 people would need to have fewer than 400 newly confirmed cases reported in the past 14 days to meet the target, according to the governor’s office.

Additional criteria include:

Enough testing available for individuals with symptoms and target populations such as those at high risk, health care personnel and first responders.
Robust case investigation and contact tracing infrastructure in place to facilitate early identification of cluster outbreaks and to issue proper isolation and quarantine orders.
Identification of an area’s high-risk settings including correctional institutions, personal care homes, skilled nursing facilities and other congregate care settings, and assurance that facilities have adequate safeguards in place such as staff training, employee screening, visitor procedures and screening and adequate supplies of personal protective equipment to support continued operations.

PA also will rely on a modeling dashboard under development and evaluation by Carnegie Mellon University to take a regional and sector-based approach to re-openings, the easing of restrictions and public health response, according to Wolf’s office.

As of Saturday, the health department has reported 40,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state and 1,537 deaths from the disease.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine today said that the department has divided the commonwealth into regions for “more than 50 years,” so is working within those established boundaries.

Those regions are: northwest, northeast, north-central, south-central, southeast and southwest.

Wolf has set a May 8 date for restricted re-openings for the first two regions—the northwest and north-central regions. Currently, these two regions meet the criteria of moving from the state’s “red,” phase, which the entire commonwealth is under currently, to the less restrictive “yellow” phase, Wolf has said.

Levine today said that, even after a region opens, it’s unlikely that daily life will immediately return to the way it was before the pandemic hit in early March.

“I think it will be a new normal,” she said. “The way . . . back to before is extremely unlikely.”

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

April 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A scene from the Reopen PA rally last week

COVID and more COVID summed up the week’s news for the n-th straight week. As we have before, we tried to cover it from many different angles—from daily state health department updates to features and opinion. We have all of our coverage listed and linked below.

COVID-19 pandemic seems to have plateaued for now but new cases and fatalities remain high statewide. Every day, we wrote a news story with the latest facts and figures from the state Department of Health, including the most recent update.

Earth Day celebrated its 50th anniversary this past week, so we shared our pre-COVID feature story with readers. It was a welcome break to a time when things seemed more normal, and we expected to have many Earth Day-related activities and celebrations.

Earth Day art exhibits were a real thing before the pandemic shut down galleries everywhere. Still, in his blog, our arts writer reflected on the golden anniversary of Earth Day and the artwork now stranded behind closed, locked doors.

“Friends of TheBurg” launched this week, TheBurg’s new membership program. Would you like to support our community journalism and receive some great benefits in the process? Read our editor’s introductory post to find out more.

Gov. Tom Wolf plans to begin lifting business restrictions and stay-at-home orders beginning on May 8 for certain, rural areas of PA. He also unveiled a three-color system to indicate a gradual, regional return to normalcy. We had the news stories this week.

“Grub for Scrubs” launched last week, a program that uses donations to buy meals from local restaurants that are then donated to health care workers. It’s the brainchild of local firm, andculture, and we have the story in our online feature.

Harrisburg finances remain relatively stable despite the general economic chaos, according to the city’s finance director. Questions remain about the future, but, so far, the city seems to be weathering the crisis better than some other local jurisdictions, he said. Find out more from our news story.

Impact Harrisburg, along with the city, have begun a $1 million grant fund to help support small businesses. The “Business Stabilization Program” will award as much as $10,000 to help city businesses weather the economic crisis. We have the details in our online story.

“One Midtown” launches this weekend, a new program designed to encourage people to support Midtown businesses during the pandemic. Friends of Midtown is asking locals to show their love for their neighborhood by buying local. Get all the details in our online story.

PA Liquor Control Board is opening up many more state-owned liquor stores for phone ordering and curbside pickup. This includes many stores in the greater Harrisburg area. Read our online news story for all the spirited details.

“Reflections Amid the Pandemic” was the title of a blog post by contributing writer Karen Hendricks. In a beautifully written piece, she weighs the surreal experience of trying to live a life during a bizarre time that seems to be our “new normal.”

“Reopen PA” arrived in Harrisburg last week, in the form of a rally at the state Capitol. Equal parts protest and Trump rally, attendees honked horns and waved signs for hours to show support for returning life to normal in PA. We attended and brought back a story.

Sara Bozich swears that she’ll leave her house one day. But, in the meantime, she lists a bunch of online things to do over the weekend, as well as links to great businesses to support.

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

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.

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.

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.”

Hundreds rally at state Capitol to protest shutdown, to “reopen PA.”

April 20, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The crowd at the Capitol steps at the height of today’s rally.

They brought homemade anti-shutdown signs.

They waved large American and pro-Trump flags.

They circled the state Capitol building and honked their horns. And then they circled around and honked some more.

Today, hundreds of people gathered at a “Reopen PA” rally on the steps of the PA Capitol, on the sidewalk across the street and in vehicles that repeatedly drove around the block.

They were there to protest Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders to shut down “non life sustaining” businesses and to stay at home, measures taken about a month ago to try to contain and fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which, as of today, has infected at least 33,232 Pennsylvanians and killed 1,204 since early March.

There were signs that said, “Every Business Is Essential,” and others that read, “#Fake Crisis,” “Crossfit Is Essential,” “I Want My Nails Done,” and “Jesus Is My Vaccine,” among many others.

Some rally-goers wore face masks, as required by the state health department, but most did not. The crowd in and around the Capitol steps was heavy, with almost no one observing the six-foot social distancing requirement.

The rally was loud, but appeared peaceful. There were few counter-protestors, and the Capitol and state police kept cars and trucks moving in front of the statehouse, despite large crowds on both sides of N. 3^rd Street.

When asked why they came out to protest, people cited two main reasons.

First, they said that Wolf’s business shutdown was destroying small businesses and, in fact, numerous commercial vehicles—landscapers, construction companies, a junk hauler and others—repeatedly circled the Capitol. Secondly, they stated that they believed that the “stay-at-home” and other orders issued by Wolf infringed on their civil liberties.

“He [Wolf] is not a dictator,” said Ed Collins of Lancaster County. “He can’t tell me what to do. To me, it’s really that simple.”

Of the dozen or so people interviewed for this story, most also said that they supported President Donald Trump, as evidenced by the many Trump flags, “Trump Pence 2020” signs and “MAGA” hats.

One vendor was doing a brisk business hawking $5 T-shirts that said, “Four More Years,” while another stand sold everything from American flags to “Trump 2020” face masks.

“We want real Republicans in office, not fake ones like [Utah Sen.] Mitt Romney,” said Will Crispen, who drove to Harrisburg today from Berks County with his family.

Several state legislators spoke at the rally, including Reps. Aaron Bernstein (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) and Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon).

“I believe that every one of you is essential and every one of your businesses is life-sustaining,” Diamond told the cheering crowd.

He then accused Wolf of arbitrariness in deciding which businesses remained open and which ones had to close.

“Arbitrarily picking winners and losers is not life-sustaining,” he said.

Wolf today did announce a May 8 date to begin repealing some of his business closure and stay-at-home orders, saying that loosening restrictions would happen gradually and regionally “based upon the data.”

For one rally-goer, however, May 8 seemed like a world away.

“We don’t want to wait until May 8,” said May Pierson of Montgomery County. “We want it all opened today, right now.”

Gov. Wolf sets May 8 for “gradual” reopening of state economy

April 20, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gov. Tom Wolf (right) spoke today during a virtual press conference

Gov. Tom Wolf has set a date of May 8 to begin a “gradual” reopening the state’s economy, though he urged residents to continue practicing social distancing and other safety measures.

Wolf today set that target date to begin the process of business re-openings, though he emphasized that ending the shutdown would be regional, likely beginning with rural counties that have shown relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“We’ve done the mitigation stage in a measured, commonsense way, and the plan is to move out of this stage in a measured, commonsense way,” he said.

The areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic would likely to be the last ones to have the business shutdown end.

“We’re going to do this on a regional basis,” he said. “If we open in rural area, it doesn’t mean we’ll end the shutdown or stay at home order in a place like Philadelphia.”

Wolf made his remarks in an online news conference as hundreds of people gathered at the state Capitol to protest the business shutdown and stay-at-home orders, many carrying anti-shutdown signs and waving pro-Trump flags. In addition, the state today reported the fewest number of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases in three weeks.

Wolf also stressed that Pennsylvanians should continue measures such as staying at home and social distancing, even after shutdown orders end.

Last week, Wolf set six criteria for businesses to reopen, including:

Re-openings will be “data driven,” will be based upon “quantifiable criteria” and will be targeted and regional.
Before allowing businesses to reopen, the state will issue “guidance and recommendations” for employers and workers.
Reopening will necessitate the availability of “adequate personal protective equipment” and “diagnostic testing.”
Reopening will require a monitoring and surveillance program allowing the commonwealth to deploy “swift actions” for containment or mitigation.
Protections for vulnerable populations, especially at congregate care facilities and prisons, will remain in place throughout the reopening process.
Limitations on large gatherings unrelated to work will remain in place for the duration of the reopening process.

Wolf also set May 8 for the resumption of residential and commercial construction projects that have not been given an exemption under the current shutdown order. In Pennsylvania, the construction industry has been especially vocal in protesting the mandated closing of “non life sustaining” businesses.

In addition, Wolf said that 176 state-owned liquor stores began curbside pickup operations today. Under the plan, there is a limit of six bottles per order, with credit cards the only accepted form of payment. At pickup, customers will be required to present identification before the order is delivered.

Wolf today also said that he would sign Senate Bill 841, approving qualified Pennsylvania notaries public to perform remote online notarizations, which will allow auto dealerships to conduct limited car sales and leasing operations through online sales.

“I want to caution that we will not be resuming operations as they were in February,” Wolf said. “We’re going to continue to take precautions that limit our physical contact with others, and we will closely monitor this to see if it can be done safely.”

Gov. Wolf outlines broad measures to guide economic reopening in PA

April 17, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A screen capture of PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) during his online speech today

Gov. Tom Wolf today set a general, six-point outline for reopening the state’s economy and allowing people to begin to return to work.

In an afternoon speech, he complimented state residents for staying resolute during the one-month general economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He then said that his administration wanted to begin talking about when and how to reopen the state’s economy.

“We all want to get back to work. We all want businesses to reopen as quickly as possible,” he said. “The challenge is that we all want to keep people safe, and we are trying to steer the fine line between those two.”

According to Wolf’s outline, the decision over when and how to reopen businesses will rely on these six broad criteria:

Re-openings will be “data driven,” will be based upon “quantifiable criteria” and will be targeted and regional.
Before allowing businesses to reopen, the state will issue “guidance and recommendations” for employers and workers.
Reopening will necessitate the availability of “adequate personal protective equipment” and “diagnostic testing.”
Reopening will require a monitoring and surveillance program allowing the commonwealth to deploy “swift actions” for containment or mitigation.
Protections for vulnerable populations, especially at congregate care facilities and prisons, will remain in place throughout the reopening process.
Limitations on large gatherings unrelated to work will remain in place for the duration of the reopening process.

Wolf declined to give more specifics for these criteria, but said that he’d offer greater detail next week.

Wolf made the speech as the Republican-controlled state Senate this week passed a bill intended to allow more businesses to reopen. Moreover, an anti-shutdown rally is planned at the state Capitol on Monday.

In contrast, Wolf urged Pennsylvania residents to “stay the course,” saying that the state’s shutdown of “non life-sustaining” businesses and its stay-at-home requirements have successfully slowed transmission of COVID-19 and helped to “flatten the curve.”

Wolf also mentioned he wasn’t alarmed following a spike of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases today. He attributed some of the new cases to greater testing and said that more results had come back from private labs following the Easter and Passover holidays.

The state Department of Health today reported 1,706 newly diagnosed positive cases in PA, the highest number in a week.

During her daily press conference, health Secretary Rachel Levine also attributed the higher case number to receiving more test results.

“We felt it was due to the holidays,” she said. “So, we’re starting to see more testing now.”

PA reports 1,245 new COVID-19 cases, as days-long case trend continues

April 16, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The number of new COVID-19 diagnoses continued to be relatively stable in Pennsylvania, with cases increasing somewhat from yesterday.

The state Department of Health today reported 1,245 new COVID-19 cases, 100 more than yesterday. The department also reported 60 additional deaths from the disease, compared to 63 yesterday.

Since Saturday, the state has reported a similar range of new cases–around 1,150 to 1,250–after a spike to nearly 2,000 late last week.

Since the pandemic began in early March, 27,735 Pennsylvanians have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 707 state residents have died from the disease.

Secretary of Health Rachel Levine has said in recent days that she believed the “curve was flattening” in Pennsylvania, though has warned repeatedly against “complacency.”

In fact, just yesterday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced further mandates on “life-sustaining” businesses that remain open, including ensuring enough space for six-foot social distancing and requiring greater use of masks.

Locally, Lancaster County now has reported 33 deaths from the disease, four more than yesterday, and Dauphin County now has seven fatalities, two more than yesterday. As of midnight, deaths in other midstate counties were unchanged: four in Cumberland and York counties, 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 287 confirmed cases, 16 more than yesterday. Cumberland County has 136 cases, six more than yesterday. Lancaster County has 970 cases, York County has 393 cases, Lebanon County has 380 cases, Adams County has 67 cases and Perry County has 17 cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 7,684 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 2,544 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths from the disease: 134 and 89, respectively.

Statewide, 141,470 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 113,735 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 137,584 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 40 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 23 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.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like