Defying warnings, millions in the US travel for Thanksgiving
By LISA MARIE PANE and SOPHIA TULP Associated Press
Millions of Americans are taking to the skies and hitting the road ahead of Thanksgiving at the risk of pouring gasoline on the coronavirus fire. They are disregarding increasingly dire warnings that they stay home and limit their holiday gatherings to members of their own household. Those who are flying are witnessing a distinctly 2020 landscape at the nation’s airports: plexiglass barriers in front of the ID stations, rapid virus testing sites inside terminals and paperwork asking them to quarantine upon arrival.

Governor Wolf Signs Renewal to COVID-19 Disaster Declaration

Harrisburg, PA – Yesterday Governor Tom Wolf signed a third renewal of his 90-day Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first proclamation was signed on March 6, following the announcement of the first two presumptive positive cases of the virus in Pennsylvania.

“With cases and hospitalizations increasing, we cannot afford to let down our guard,” said Governor Wolf. “This renewal will allow the commonwealth to maintain its response and support efforts as we face increasing case numbers and decreasing hospital capacity.”

The emergency disaster declaration provides for increased support to state agencies involved in the continued response to the virus and recovery for the state during reopening. This includes expediting supply procurement and lifting certain regulations to allow for efficient and effective mitigation.

The disaster declaration has allowed for waivers and extensions to continue to provide for Pennsylvanians and businesses under the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, including the ability to waive the one-week waiting period to receive unemployment compensation, work search requirements, and the registration with PA CareerLink for applicants, and to provide relief from charges for employers; and allowing the commonwealth to suspend numerous training requirements and certification and licensure renewals for health care professionals, child care workers, direct care workers, direct support professionals, among other professional groups who provide life-sustaining services to our children, seniors, and vulnerable residents.

Through the disaster declaration, PEMA has been able to mission assign the National Guard to provide various types of support for long term care facilities, including providing direct patient care support, ancillary support, and testing, and at community-based testing sites. It also provides PEMA with the ability to leverage continued federal support such as non-congregate sheltering.

The renewed disaster declaration will continue to support all of these efforts, as well as allow the commonwealth to rapidly scale response efforts and employ new intervention tactics, such as the administration of a vaccine.

The Department of Health’s Department Operations Center at PEMA continues to be active, as is the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center there.

A Proclamation of Disaster Emergency is effective for a 90-day period unless sooner rescinded or extended by official action of the Governor.

Harrisburg, PA — Michael Huff, Director of Testing and Contact Tracing for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, presented an update today on the commonwealth’s COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts, emphasizing the need to prioritize case investigations and for those who test positive to participate in contact tracing.

To date, the state has been conducting both PCR and antigen tests. In total, Pennsylvania has conducted 5,498,223 tests, which equates to nearly half the state’s population.

“The increase in testing demonstrates the increased need for case investigation and contact tracing – two key public health activities that occur when a case of COVID-19 is identified,” Huff said. “Given the continued increase in both the number of positive cases and the positivity percentage rate, which stood at 11 percent for the week of Nov. 13 – Nov. 19, the recommendations for prioritization of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing have been enhanced.”

Huff outlined key case investigation prioritization recommendations from the CDC that were released yesterday and are meant to enhance efforts already initiated by the Department of Health. These include:

• Prioritize case investigation interviews for people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 6 days (based on specimen collection date or symptom onset, if known);
• Prioritize contact tracing efforts on household contacts exposed in past 6 days, and people living, working or visiting congregate living facilities, high density workplaces or other settings (or events) with potential extensive transmission;
• As resources allow, expand case investigation and contact tracing to people outside the household who are at increased risk for serious illness, are part of a cluster, or were exposed within the past six days,
• If more than 14 days have elapsed since the specimen was collected, case investigation should generally not be pursued.

Case investigation and contract tracing remain essential components of the COVID-19 response and are a key strategy to interrupt disease transmission and reduce spread of the virus in a community. With more than 34,000 positive cases reported in the past seven days, contact tracing has become even more critical to identifying those who may have been exposed to the virus by someone who has tested positive.

As cases of COVID-19 are at record levels, Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine yesterday announced new mitigations efforts to help stop the spread of COVIC-19 at this critical time.

Huff reiterated the importance of the mitigation efforts, “As Governor Wolf, Secretary Levine, I and others have said in the past, the COVID-19 situation is fluid, and guidance continues to change over time, even after plans are prepared and adopted. One thing has not changed – citizens of Pennsylvania have individual responsibility to contribute to proper behavior and to adhere to public health guidance to protect themselves and others as well as to help control the spread of COVID-19. Public health controls are only as effective as the willingness of individuals to carry them out.”

Huff also reminded Pennsylvanians to download the free COVID Alert PA app, which is an important tool to join the fight against COVID 19. To date there have been more than 560,000 downloads and more than 42,000 daily check-ins on average.

Pennsylvania is uniting against COVID. Here are the mitigation measures in place to keep people safe:

Local Guidelines

The Wolf Administration supports local officials who choose to maintain additional restrictions. The following counties are under additional local guidelines:

• Allegheny
• Delaware
• Philadelphia

Travel

There are travel requirements in place across Pennsylvania. Visit the Department of Health’s website for the latest travel guidelines.

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Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today shared its weekly update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data and encouraged Pennsylvanians to download the COVID Alert PA app to aid in contact tracing efforts.

“Pennsylvania continues to see more cases rise each day. With counts above 5,000, 6,000, and now over 7,000 cases reported per day, we will need to prioritize case investigations to prevent outbreaks,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “It is important for Pennsylvanians to be united and do their part to prevent the spread in their communities. Please continue to wash your hands frequently, practice social distancing, wear a mask, avoid gatherings, and download the COVID Alert PA app on your phone to be notified if you came into contact with someone who later tested positive.”

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying, and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who has COVID-19 while that individual was infectious. The contact tracing process is not possible without a case investigation by a public health professional. Case investigators make the initial call to those with positive COVID-19 test results spending 30 to 60 minutes asking questions to ensure all potential close contacts are identified.

Between Sunday, November 8 and Saturday, November 14, there were 34,719 COVID-19 cases statewide and 23 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 24 hours of receiving the positive report. Public health professionals will continue calling to complete the case investigation after the 24-hour period. An additional 7 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 48 hours. There were 8,332 people, or 24 percent of cases, in this reported week that were successfully contacted by a public health professional statewide. Cases investigations are being prioritized to address those cases that present the highest likelihood of leading to an outbreak.

After the initial case investigation is complete, contact tracing begins. Within the same time period of November 8 to November 14, there were 1,633 contact tracing staff working with local and county health entities, partner organizations and the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program within the Department of Human Services as well as volunteers from Co-County Wellness in Berks County and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. These staff monitored 11,550 contacts who were identified during the case investigations. That is an increase of 3,155 contacts compared to last week.

Currently, all of the allotted 1,000 people have been hired through a partnership with Insight Global. Some of these contact tracers have been promoted to perform case investigations to meet the immediate needs of increased caseloads. There are 40 supervisors, 12 regional field managers and coordinators, and 10 care coordinators who will help to refer Pennsylvanians to services during quarantine across the commonwealth.

Since the implementation of the Contact Tracing Management System in early October through November 14 in those areas of the state where Pennsylvania Department of Health is responsible for contact tracing, there have been:

• 34,000 contacts have been processed for areas where PA DOH has jurisdiction;
• 25,500 people, or 75 percent of the total contacts identified, have been effectively reached to communicate their quarantine status and offer ongoing symptom monitoring;
• 6,500 people, or about 19 percent of the total contacts, were not reached; and
• 1,800 were still in the process of being contacted.

On September 22, the department launched COVID Alert PA, a free mobile app that uses Bluetooth technology to let a person know that they have been exposed to COVID-19 without compromising the identity or location of either the person using the app, or of the person to whom they may have been exposed. There have been over 555,000 downloads thus far, and on average 42,000 individuals are logging their symptoms on a daily basis

In addition to the traditional case investigations and contact tracing process, there have been 294 cases that confirmed their positivity and uploaded their random ID’s through the app, which generated exposure alerts to those phones, who have the app and were in close contact (six feet for 15 minutes or more). These prompted 116 exposure alerts to be sent out to other app users to notify them of their exposure. Of those who receives the alerts, 20 individuals requested a call back for further assistance by a trained contact tracer.

As the contact tracing program expands, the Department of Health continues to work in partnership with over 150 organizations, in addition to the county and municipal health departments, through regional partnerships to help gather and answer questions, identify problems and find solutions to improve contact tracing efforts within the region. Each regional partnership has met at least once, and includes public health staff, health providers, academic institutions, community organizations, and other stakeholders interested in helping to coordinate and engage around contact tracing efforts.

Organizations and entities interested in partnering in these efforts should reach out to RA-DHCONTACTTRACING@pa.gov.

You can find more information on the state’s contact tracing efforts at the Department of Health’s website here.

Pennsylvanians are reminded that mask-wearing is required when visiting businesses or in any setting outside the home where social distancing is difficult. Remember: My mask protects you; your mask protects me.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• 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, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials

Harrisburg, Pa.—With new modeling projecting 22,000 new COVID-19 cases per day in Pennsylvania in December, Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced new targeted mitigation measures to help stop the spread during this critical time. These include a robust enforcement plan targeted at chronic violators along with an effort to ensure schools are safe and in compliance with COVID safety plans. The administration is also encouraging Pennsylvanians to limit unnecessary travel and stay at home.

“As our hospitals and health care system are facing greater strain, we need to redouble our efforts to keep people safe,” Gov. Wolf said. “If our health care system is compromised, it isn’t only COVID-19 patients who will suffer. If we run out of hospital beds, or if hospital staff are over-worked to the breaking point, care will suffer for every patient – including those who need emergency care for illnesses, accidents, or chronic conditions unrelated to COVID-19.”

In the past week, the number of COVID-19-attributable deaths has quadrupled, and the average daily case count is seven times higher than it was two months ago.

Dr. Levine noted last week that modeling available from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington projects that Pennsylvania will run out of intensive care beds in December.

The IHME’s modeling also projects that if mitigation efforts are not adhered to, Pennsylvania could have more than 32,000 deaths from COVID-19 by Feb. 23, 2021 – that’s in just three months. With universal mask-wearing, those deaths can be reduced by half.

“As the Secretary of Health, I have issued a series of advisories and orders intended to help stop the spread during this critical time, to protect our hospitals, our health care workers and the lives of our fellow Pennsylvanians,” Dr. Levine said. “Our collective responsibility continues to be to protect our communities, our health care workers and our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians from COVID-19. That has not changed.”

The new measures include revamped school safety attestation, targeted business and gathering restrictions, and a new enforcement plan that includes liability protection for businesses enforcing the Secretary of Health’s strengthened mask-wearing order. The administration is also advising all Pennsylvanians to limit unnecessary travel and keep gatherings held in homes to members of the same household.

Requiring Strict Safety Measures in Our Schools

Summary: The Wolf Administration is requiring Pre-K to 12 public schools in counties that have been in the substantial transmission level for at least two consecutive weeks to commit to safety measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students and educators. If they choose not to, they must move to fully remote learning without all extra-curricular activities. As of Friday, Nov. 20, there are 59 counties in the substantial transmission level for at least two consecutive weeks.

Requirements for Pre-K to 12 public schools in substantial counties for at least two consecutive weeks:

• Schools are mandated to comply with updated protocols if a COVID-19 case is identified in the school building.
• By 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, chief school administrators and the governing body president/chair must sign an attestation form stating they have either transitioned to fully remote learning or are complying with the orders if they are conducting any in-person instruction while in the “substantial” range of transmission.
• Those schools that do not sign or comply with an attestation are required to provide only fully remote learning and suspend all extracurricular activities as long as the county remains in the substantial transmission level.

“All of us have a responsibility to slow the spread of this virus so our children can stay or return to the classroom,” Gov. Wolf said.

Keeping Businesses, Customers and Employees Safe

Summary: The administration is revising and reissuing its orders to protect businesses, customers, and employees. This order will consolidate previous orders and includes reiterating cleaning and social distancing requirements, mandatory telework requirements unless impossible, and other safety measures.

• Telework is mandatory unless impossible; safety measures required for businesses including cleaning, social distancing and masking.
• Online sales and curbside pickup for all shopping are encouraged.

Furthermore, to help with enforcement of existing masking orders in businesses, the administration is introducing liability protection for all businesses that maintain in person operations and are open to the public. Businesses will receive immunity from civil liability only as related to the Secretary’s masking order given that individuals and entities are engaged in essential emergency services activities and disaster services activities when enforcing the order.

Strengthening Gathering Limitations

Summary: As Pennsylvania sees an increase in cases, the commonwealth is strengthening gathering restrictions. All large events and gatherings are now reduced until further notice. In addition, the retail food services industry, including bars, restaurants, and private catered events must end alcohol sales for on-site consumption at 5 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020 only.

• All indoor and outdoor events/ gatherings categories size limits will be reduced
• New limits are as follows:

Maximum Occupancy Calculator for indoor events:

Maximum Occupancy Calculator for outdoor events:

• Household gatherings are also advised against when attendees include non-household members as noted through the Secretary of Health’s Stay at Home Advisory.
• To specifically address large crowds, on Nov. 25, 2020 only, all sales or dispensing of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption at businesses in the retail food services industry, including bars, restaurants, and private catered events must end at 5 p.m. Indoor dining may continue, takeout is encouraged.

Empowering local government

• The governor and Secretary of Health’s orders were issued pursuant to the authority granted to them under the law, and as such they have the force and effect of law. This authority extends to all local enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania. Local law enforcement received guidance on enforcement of the various COVID-19 orders in place from the Pennsylvania State Police through the PA Chiefs of Police Association.

• Given the importance of local engagement, the Department of Health has provided recommendations for local municipal leaders, as well as county-wide leadership. While statewide mitigation steps are necessary, local leaders can implement their own orders, ordinances, or directives in order to protect health and safety as long as they are stricter than those mandated by the state. Additionally, counties and municipalities are authorized to enforce state law, including orders from the Secretary of Health or Governor.
• Local leaders at all levels of government should exercise their authority and influence to support public health efforts that will protect residents and local economies. When local leaders engage, their constituents understand that they are supported in adopting and sustaining preventive behaviors.
• The Department of Health has established thresholds representing low, moderate, or substantial community transmission of COVID-19, and corresponding actions that can be taken by county and municipal leaders. A county’s threshold may change week-by-week as incidence and percent positivity rates rise and fall. Leaders should implement more public health actions rather than fewer if their county is between thresholds. To determine level of community transmission, counties should use the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard. The Department of Health and the Department of Education use the same metrics to recommend instructional models for school leaders.
• Recommendations for each level of community transmission include increased communication, collaborative planning, stricter directives, and working with school leaders.

Ramping Up Enforcement

Summary: Orders already in place and those announced today are all enforceable, and law enforcement and state agencies will be stepping up enforcement efforts, issuing citations and fines, and possibly regulatory actions for repeat offenders.

Given that this is a critical time for mitigation efforts and orders to be followed, the Wolf Administration is stepping up enforcement on the following orders:

• Out of State Travel
• Mask-wearing
• Business Safety, including telework, occupancy, cleaning, social distancing
• Restaurant Mitigation, including occupancy, masking, social distancing, self-certification
• Gathering Limits
• School Attestation and Mitigation
• Orders are enforceable as a disease control measure under the Disease Prevention and Control Law. Citations may be written under the Administrative Code of 1929 71 P. S. § 1409 and/or the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955 35 P.S. § 521.20(a). The decision whether to issue a warning or a citation is made on a case-by-case basis and determined by the unique circumstances of each encounter.
• Persons who fail to comply with an order may be fined between $25 and $300 dollars.
• Enforcement agencies include the Pennsylvania State Police, local law enforcement, personnel from the departments of Agriculture and State, and PA Liquor Control Board stores who interact with visitors.

Because a component of enforcement is investigating complaints, the Department of Health, with assistance from other agencies, is bolstering its ability to receive and respond to complaints from customers and employees. The department will continue to investigate complaints provided via its webform and plans to use additional staff from other state agencies under the governor’s jurisdiction to process complaints.

Following a complaint about a business, the Department of Health will send a warning letter informing the business of the potential consequences, including fines and closure if the business is not compliant with the mitigation orders. If a business continues to receive complaints, it risks referral to the Pennsylvania State Police or regulatory agencies, further fines and possible closure.

“As Pennsylvanians, we have a responsibility to one another, to do what we can to protect each other and preserve the life we all love in this commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said. “For those who refuse to do their part to protect their neighbors and communities and refuse to accept that their actions have consequences that cause pain and suffering for others, we will be stepping up enforcement of all of the public health orders Dr. Levine and I have put in place.

“We are in a very dangerous situation, and we need to work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 right now because if we give in to the virus, we will lose many more Pennsylvanians. And that is unacceptable.”

Governor Wolf’s Mitigation, Enforcement, and Immunity Order

Governor Wolf’s Retail Food Services Mitigation Order

Governor Wolf’s Stay at Home Advisory

Governor Wolf’s Public School Attestation Order

Secretary of Health’s Mitigation and Enforcement Order

Secretary of Health’s Retail Food Services Mitigation Order

Secretary of Health’s Stay at Home Advisory

Secretary of Health’s Public School Attestation Order

Secretary of Health’s Elective Procedures Order

(Hopewell, Pa.) Hopewell Area School District students will be learning virtual beginning today, according to a district spokesperson. The classes are to continue until December 4, but that could change, she said. The school board meets in regular session tonight on ZOOM. Interested persons may register on the district’s website.

3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective and cheaper
By DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Drugmaker AstraZeneca says that late-stage trials show its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, buoying the prospects of a relatively cheap, easy-to-store product that may become the vaccine of choice for the developing world. The results announced Monday are based on interim analysis of trials in the U.K. and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalizations or severe cases of COVID-19 were reported in those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca is the third major drug company to report late-stage data for a potential COVID-19 vaccine. But unlike the others, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries.

(New Brighton, Pa.) The New Brighton School District announced via the school district website that both an elementary school student and a middle school student have tested positive for COVID-19. The school district is currently working at contact tracing for both students. The middle school student was last in school on November 16, 2020 and the elementary student was last in school on November 20, 2020.  The district also issued a letter warning parents of the possibility of the school district transitioning to an all virtual learning model after the increase in cases locally. Superintendent Joseph Guarino said via a letter posted on the district website that the PA Department of Health and the PDE currently recommend that following a second week of similar data within the  substantial level of Covid-19 cases that school districts move to a full virtual educational platform. Guarino went on to say while Beaver County hasn’t reached that rate for two weeks, yet they are expecting it to happen this week.

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(Photo From New Brighton Foodland used with permission)

Story by Beaver County Radio Program Director Frank Sparks with contributions from News Correspondent Sandy Giordano 

(Beaver County, Pa.) There have been reports that paper products and other non-perishable foods are starting to be high in demand and stores inventory is evaporating like it did earlier in the spring when the COVID-19 Pandemic first hit. As cases start to rise and the threat of another lock down looms consumers are headed to stores to stock up in case there is another Stay at Home Order.

Beaver County Radio Program Director Frank Sparks and News Correspondent Sandy Giordano reached out to local retailers to find out what there supply and inventory is like. Frank talked with Mike Fischer, he and his brother Ron own the New Brighton Foodland, and he said that he has everything in stock his main problem is variety of the products. Mike said he is well stocked now and is stock piling products from the warehouse to be able to supply his customers. Fischer added that the thing that surprises him is that turkeys are becoming hard to re-inventory and that we are facing a shortage of turkeys and he was told to expect the same with hams. Mike isn’t sure if it’s because of the restaurants being closed or eating capacity drastically reduced and more people are eating at home or what.

Sandy Giordano reported that  Giant Eagle in Green Garden Plaza’s manager said this morning that they are well stocked on all products and food during this pandemic.. There is a limit of 1 package of paper towels, 1 package of toilet paper, any cleaning supplies have a limit of 1 per customer.

Kuhn’s Market in the Hopewell Shopping Center said customers have a limit of 1 package of paper towels and toilet paper, and any cleaning supplies.

Pfizer seeking emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in US
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
Pfizer is set to ask U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting a process that could bring first shots as early as next month. Friday’s step comes days after Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced its vaccine appears 95% protective in a large but not yet finished study. Over the next few weeks, the Food and Drug Administration and its scientific advisers will have to decide if there’s really enough evidence to allow emergency vaccinations. If so, first supplies will be scarce and rationed. Experts warn it likely will be spring before there’s enough for everyone.