Pennsylvania nurse union alleges continued rationing of PPE
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
One of Pennsylvania’s largest nurses’ unions alleges that hospitals have “resorted to severe rationing” of personal protective equipment even as they resume elective surgeries.  The 8,400-member Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals says that Pennsylvania state health officials are “being misinformed” about the availability of PPE inside hospitals. The union said in a letter to the state health secretary that working conditions inside hospitals remain unsafe because of lax COVID-19 guidance issued by the state Health Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Health Department says it has sent vast quantities of medical-grade face masks, gloves, gowns and other supplies in nearly 500 shipments to hospitals statewide.

Trump still confident in virus test despite false negatives
By JILL COLVIN, MATTHEW PERRONE and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has expressed no concerns about a rapid coronavirus test that the White House has been relying on to ensure his safety, despite new data suggesting the test may return an inordinate share of false negatives. Trump expressed his confidence in the test from Abbott Laboratories after a preliminary study by New York University researchers reported problems with it. Trump and his deputies have have promoting the 15-minute test as a “game changer.” The Food and Drug Administration announced late Thursday it was investigating preliminary data suggesting the Abbott test can miss COVID-19 cases, falsely clearing infected patients.

AMBRIDGE, May 15 – State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement today that Beaver County will move to the “yellow,” open phase of the state’s reopen plan on May 22.
“I’m pleased the governor responded to our requests. The people in our county did their part, and ultimately, the data showed that we were ready for the next phase in safely re-opening our county.

 “These are unprecedented times. There is no foolproof instruction manual on how to deal with a global pandemic. It is inevitable that some governmental decisions may not work out as intended or be well received.

 “This announcement, along with the recent action taken by the Department of Health at Brighton Rehab and in long-term care facilities statewide, although long overdue, shows that the administration is listening.

 “I’m well aware that this phase does not send everyone back to work or reopen every business. But it’s a safe first step back towards life as we knew it.”

Governor Moves Beaver County to ‘Yellow’ Phase, Says Bernstine

ELLWOOD CITY, Beaver County – Citing a low caseload and flattening the curve, Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) issued the following statement regarding Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that Beaver County is one of 12 counties set to move into the “yellow” phase starting Friday, May 22, under his reopening plan.

“The governor has heard your voices and finally reacted to safely reopen Beaver County. We have a lot of people who want to go back to work and they feel they can do it safely. They can make good judgments and make sure they are safe, and their customers are safe.

“Instead of Wolf trying to find ways to say no, residents of Beaver County have forced him to say yes.”

Bernstine explained that under the yellow designation, stay-at-home orders will be lifted and gatherings of up to 25 people will be allowed. Currently, the red designation bans all gatherings or outside trips that are not related to health, safety or going to work at an essential job. Gyms, casinos, theaters and other indoor recreational, wellness and entertainment venues will stay closed. Restaurants and bars will still be limited to carryout or delivery. Child care is open, although businesses must follow federal and state guidance for safety, social distancing and cleaning.

(File Photo)

(Beaver,Pa.) The Beaver County Commissioners issued a statement today after Governor Wolf’s announcement that Beaver County will be moving from the red phase to the yellow phase next Friday May 22, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.

They are pleased with Gov. Wolf’s decision. Below is the Statement from the Commissioners sent to Beaver County Radio:

The Commissioners of Beaver County were pleased to learn of Governor Wolf‘s decision to permit Beaver County to move into Yellow phase. This decision is incontrovertible evidence that the voices of our citizens and local businesses were heard in Harrisburg. To be sure, this past week our Board has publicly and passionately expressed our disapproval of a decision that we believed would serve only to harm our County‘s economy and morale. For that, we do not apologize. We will always ferociously defend and represent the best interests of our citizens. 

However, with today‘s news of Beaver County joining the rest of Southwestern Pennsylvania by transitioning into the Yellow Phase, we would like to thank Governor Wolf for listening to our concerns, and ultimately reevaluating his decision to keep Beaver County on an imaginary “Red” island. We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor as our Commonwealth continues responds to this historic pandemic. 

We encourage all of our residents to go to our County‘s website for addition information as to what Beaver County‘s progression into the “Yellow” phase means, and the Board continues to strongly encourage our residents to continue adhering to all CDC Guidelines on mitigating the spread of COVID–19, which include: washing hands often, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, practicing social distancing, covering mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily. 

Gov. Wolf: 12 More Counties to Move to Yellow Phase on May 22

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced 12 additional Pennsylvania counties will move to the yellow phase of reopening at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, May 22. Those counties include Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne, and York. Twenty-four counties moved into the yellow phase of reopening on May 8 and another 13 moved to yellow beginning today.

With these additional 12 counties, there will be a total of 49 counties in the yellow phase. The remaining 18 counties are in the red phase.

“Through our social distancing efforts, we have not only reversed a trajectory of exponential new case growth – we have cut it in half,” Gov. Wolf said. “And some of the counties that will be shifting into the yellow phase next week eliminated concerns that we had just two weeks ago. So please, keep up your efforts in the fight so we can continue to add counties to the list of those in the yellow phase. Thank you again for your patience and your hard work.”

Yesterday, Governor Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine amended their yellow phase orders to include 13 counties that moved to the yellow phase today. Those counties include Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland.

Red phase stay-at-home orders remain in effect until June 4 but that does not mean that other counties will not move to the yellow phase in advance of that date.

The reopening plan prioritizes the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians by using a combination of factors to gauge how much movement a location can tolerate before the 2019 novel coronavirus becomes a threat, including metrics developed in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh that will be released twice each week.

Wolf stressed that this plan is not a one-way route. The state is closely monitoring the counties in the yellow phase and will re-impose restrictions if danger arises. If the new case count begins to climb in one area, restrictions will need to be imposed to prevent local medical facilities from becoming overwhelmed. So, Pennsylvanians should continue to make good choices.