The Latest: McEnany tests positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s health after his COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization, and new infections of close aides and others (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she has tested positive for COVID-19. This comes days after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus.
McEnany says in a statement that she tested positive Monday morning and is experiencing no symptoms at this time. She spoke briefly with reporters Sunday evening, but says that no members of the White House press corps spent enough time around her to be considered close contacts.
She says that she is beginning the quarantine process and “will continue working on behalf of the American People remotely.”
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8:50 a.m.
White House officials say President Donald Trump is anxious to be released from the hospital as early as Monday, after three nights at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he’s being treated for COVID-19.
“This is an important day as the president continues to improve and is ready to get back to a normal work schedule,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Fox News on Monday.
Meadows says the determination on whether Trump would leave the hospital won’t be made until later in the day after the president is evaluated by his medical team.
His doctors revealed on Sunday that Trump’s blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick.

Trump aims for Monday release after supporter drive-by
By JILL COLVIN, STEVE PEOPLES and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump was hoping for a Monday discharge from the military hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19. This comes a day after he briefly ventured out while contagious to salute cheering supporters by motorcade in a move that disregarded precautions meant to contain the deadly virus that has killed more than 209,000 Americans. Officials said Trump was anxious to be released after three nights at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His doctors said Sunday that his blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick. Still, they said Trump’s health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday.

Wolf Administration Announces Health Reform Plan that Focuses on Affordability, Access, Equity and Value for All Health Needs

Harrisburg, PA – Amid the pandemic, rising health care costs and magnified health inequities, Governor Tom Wolf today unveiled a plan that addresses comprehensive health reforms focusing on both physical and behavioral health and promoting affordability, accessibility and value in health care.

“I am proposing a health reform package that will make health care more affordable, hold health care corporations accountable and tackle the health inequities resulting from systemic racism,” Gov. Wolf said. “True reform means focusing on every aspect of a person that contributes to their health. Even before the pandemic, there were warning signs that Pennsylvania’s health care system wasn’t working for everyone. Many Pennsylvanians found it hard to pay their medical bills due to rising health care costs, including families who have health care coverage and often have to pay higher premiums and more out-of-pocket costs every year.”

Health care access has historically been more difficult for many, and because of the pandemic, affordability is expected to become a crisis, with more than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians expected to become uninsured.

COVID-19 has also worsened the pre-existing inequities that some disadvantaged neighborhoods face, disproportionately hurting Pennsylvanians of color.

Chief Innovation Officer at the Department of Human Services, Dr. Doug Jacobs, outlined the components of the health reform plan and how they will address these issues.

“As a board-certified and practicing internal medicine physician, I see first-hand how affordability and a whole-person approach to care is so crucial to helping Pennsylvanians access the health care they deserve,” Dr. Jacobs said. “Governor Wolf is proposing a whole-person health reform package that will make comprehensive, quality health care more affordable and accessible.”

The three main components of the plan include:

• Interagency Health Reform Council (IHRC), established with an executive order the governor signed at the press conference today. The council will be composed of commonwealth agencies involved in health and the governor’s office. The initial goal will be to develop recommendations by December 30 to find efficiencies in the health care system by thinking about how to align programs where feasible, including the joint purchasing of medications, aligning value-based purchasing models, and using data across state agencies to promote evidence-based decisions.
• Regional Accountable Health Councils (RAHCs). The Department of Human Services will add requirements to form five RAHCs across the state into the managed care agreements. RAHCs will be required to collectively develop regional transformation plans – built on community needs assessments – to reduce disparities, address social determinants of health, and align value-based purchasing arrangements.
• Health Value Commission. The governor will work with the legislature to establish the Health Value Commission, charged with keeping all payors and providers accountable for health care cost growth, to provide the long-term affordability and sustainability of our health care system, and to promote whole-person care. As proposed, the newly created entity would be led by up to 15 commissioners appointed by the governor and the General Assembly who have an expertise in the health care marketplace, including five state agency heads.

Gov. Wolf and Dr. Jacobs were joined at the announcement by Pennsylvania Health Access Network director Antoinette Kraus, home health care aide Hillary Rothrock, and Little Amps owner Peter Leonard.

“Far too many Pennsylvanians put off care or skip tests and treatment because of what’s in their wallets rather than what’s best for their health,” Antoinette Kraus said. “Without reforms that directly address high and rising healthcare costs, families will continue to struggle with getting the care they need without facing financial ruin, and health disparities will also widen. We applaud Governor Wolf for addressing these issues by introducing reforms that will increase transparency, improve health equity, and lower costs.”

“Little Amps has long been striving to find a way to provide high quality health care coverage to our team – my peers in the small business community know just how difficult this can be despite how essential it is to our collective wellbeing,” Peter Leonard said. “It simply is not affordable, and that is unacceptable. We support Governor Wolf’s Whole-Person Health Reform proposal because of its ability to decrease costs and make healthcare more affordable for small businesses like ours.”

“I’m grateful to Governor Wolf for introducing the Whole-Person Health Reform initiative,” Hillary Rothrock said. “So many of us in health care want desperately to provide everything we can for our consumers, but we aren’t given the resources we need. Finding cost savings that can be redirected toward direct care is critically needed.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of the challenges that our commonwealth faced prior to this year,” Gov. Wolf said. “We are more aware now of how precarious many systems we all took for granted are, and how the inequities that exist in those systems harm some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians. We need to take these actions now to make sure that health care is affordable and accessible for every Pennsylvanian, and to guarantee that the care Pennsylvanians receive is valuable and of high quality.”

AP source: 2 more Titans test positive in COVID-19 outbreak
By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL’s first COVID-19 outbreak has expanded to 14 within the past week. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that two more Tennessee Titans have tested positive. The NFL already had postponed the Titans’ game Sunday against Pittsburgh. That came a day after the league said it hoped the teams would play Monday or Tuesday. But another positive test result Thursday led to the postponement. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans last week, once again had no positive test results, putting them on target to play Houston on Sunday.

The Latest: Biden awaiting results of coronavirus test

Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) statement following the passage of the HEROES Act:

 “We need a bipartisan deal that can actually be signed into law and get money into the hands of people who need it right now.  And we all know that won’t happen with this HEROES bill.

 “There is a lot in this bill I support and some things I don’t.  The deal Secretary Mnuchin put forward is inadequate, and the people we’re negotiating with don’t seem to care if we do anything at all.  They are perfectly fine with government doing nothing to help people who are struggling.

 “So, the reality is this: We can take their deal and save the jobs of thousands of airline workers in my district, or they get laid off.  We can get $400 for unemployed workers and another round of stimulus checks, or nothing.  We can get some funding for state and local governments, or none.  We can get new funding for small businesses, or not.

 “Republican leaders are fine with nothing, but I’m not.  Democrats actually care about helping these people.  That’s why we should take the money that’s on the table so we can save jobs and help people survive this pandemic right now.

 “Then we need to win in November.”

Trump says he and first lady tested positive for coronavirus
By JILL COLVIN and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump’s positive test comes just hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks came down with the virus after traveling with the president several times this week. Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has now killed more than 205,000 people nationwide. In a memorandum, the president’s physician says the president and first lady “are both well at this time” and “plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Freedom, Pa.) Freedom School District Superintendent Dr. jeff Fuller sent a letter to parents that a few athletes on the girls soccer and volleyball teams  have tested positive for COVID-19.  Dr. Fuller spoke to the PA DOH  and the  families of the girls have been asked to self-quarantine. All activities for both girls volleyball and  soccer are cancelled through Monday, October 5 to  stem the spread of the virus. Dr. Fuller added “We will continue to monitor this situation and  will adjust this plan as necessary.” He added,”we continue to urge all of our students to take precautions when in groups, wear masks when in public, and social distance  to the greatest extent possible”.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Dr. Michelle Miller, superintendent in the Hopewell School District  informed parents/guardians in a letter yesterday the administration was notified  that a high school senior tested positive for COVID-19. The last time the student was in the building  was last Wednesday, September 23. She said that the district  is continuing increased efforts   to clean and sanitize all learning spaces, but will focus attention in which the student was present.. Dr. Miller stated the district has been in contact with PA DOH   which is engaging in contract tracing and communication with families. She said any recommendations from DOH  will be shared with families as applicable

Cold weather means new challenges for struggling restaurants
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer
U.S. restaurants are moving warily into fall, hoping their slow recovery persists despite the new challenge of chilly weather and a pandemic that’s expected to claim even more lives. New York opens indoor dining on Wednesday, restricting capacity to 25%. San Francisco may do the same as early as this week. Chicago is raising its indoor capacity from 25% to 40% on Thursday. The National Restaurant Association says nearly 100,000 U.S. restaurants have shut their doors since the pandemic began. Employment rose in the last four months, but there are still 2.5 million fewer restaurant workers than there were in February.