Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and Education Secretary Pedro Rivera today jointly announced updated guidance to help Pre-K to 12 schools prepare to reopen and safely educate students for in-person learning. Each school entity will determine if classes resume in person at school buildings, remotely or a combination of both options

“Our goal is to ensure a safe return to school for students, educators and staff by following best practices to mitigate the spread of the virus, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “In those instances when someone tests positive, public health staff from the department will immediately assist the school with risk assessment, isolation and quarantine recommendations, and other infection control recommendations.”

The guidance represents endorsed best public health practices related to social distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfecting in school settings. It also outlines how to accommodate individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions, procedures for monitoring symptoms, and responding to confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in the school community.

“The health and safety of students, teachers and staff must be paramount as schools prepare for the upcoming school year,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “The Department of Education has been focused on supporting schools with resources and best practices to help school leaders make informed decisions within their local contexts and in response to evolving conditions.”

The best practice recommendations for schools outlined by the departments of Health and Education include:

• Masks must be worn by students and staff at school and on the bus as required by the order signed by Sec. of Health Dr. Levine on July 1, with some exceptions. Masks can be removed to eat or drink.
• Students or caregivers should do a daily symptom screening before leaving for school.
• Students, teachers and other staff are strongly encouraged to follow social distancing throughout the day with 6 feet of separation between desks and other seating.
• If possible, hold classes in gyms, auditoriums, other large spaces or outdoors, where physical distancing can be maintained.
• Student seating should be facing in the same direction.
• Limit student interactions by staggering class times, creating one-way walking patterns in hallways, and, when feasible, keeping students in a classroom and rotating teachers instead.
• For breakfast and lunch, consider serving individually packaged meals in classrooms and avoid across-the-table seating.  If meals are served in a cafeteria, sit students at least 6 feet apart.
• Limit the number of students on playgrounds at one time and encourage social distancing.
• Encourage the use of virtual gatherings, events, and extracurricular activities.

The guidance released today provides a list of best practices for schools to consider before the start of in-person classes.

The guidance for school sports is unchanged. Coaches, athletes, and spectators must wear masks unless they can maintain 6 feet of separation outdoors. Athletes can remove masks during a workout or competition.

Today’s guidance builds on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s preliminary guidance issued June 3 outlining steps schools must take before they may resume in-person instruction.

The preliminary guidance requires school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units to develop a health and safety plan. The plans must be approved by the school’s governing body and made available on the school’s public website before bringing students and staff back to campus. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to create plans tailored to their unique needs and post them on their websites.

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 for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

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
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs please visit the Department of Education’s website or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

List of national retail chains requiring masks is growing
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Target and CVS Health have joined the  list of the nation’s largest retailers that will require customers to wear masks as cases of COVID-19 spike. Target’s  policy will go into effect  Aug. 1., while  CVS’s rule will start Monday. More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target said Thursday that it will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them. The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, announced this week that masks would be mandatory in all stores starting Monday. Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. also have put mandatory face shield rules in place.

Pennsylvania reports 781 new cases as restrictions take hold
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is reporting 781 new coronavirus cases as new, statewide pandemic restrictions take effect. The state Department of Health said Thursday there were 16 additional deaths for a new statewide toll of 6,973. Gov. Tom Wolf reimposed restrictions Thursday on bars, restaurants, and larger indoor gatherings. Those gatherings are now now limited to 25 people, down from 250. Wolf says the restrictions are needed because of what he called an “unsettling climb” in infections. Critics question the need for statewide restrictions when only a few areas of the state have been seeing rising case numbers.

PIAA: Fall sports to start as scheduled
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania high school football and other fall sports will start as scheduled. That’s according to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The PIAA said Wednesday that football practice will start Aug. 10, and the other fall sports will start Aug. 17. The PIAA said it intends to offer winter and spring sports, as well, but will be flexible depending on pandemic conditions.

(Pittsburgh Pa.) Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) led a coalition of Members from the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig on behalf of constituents across Pennsylvania who have experienced difficulty in receiving the up to $1,200 Economic Impact Payment (EIP) authorized by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

“Months ago, Congress decided to send cash to the people who needed it most.   But too many of our constituents still haven’t gotten the money.  This is unacceptable during a crisis and should be fixed right away,” said Lamb.

To date, over 140 million Americans have received an EIP under the CARES Act.  In addition to Lamb, the letter was signed by Representatives Mike Doyle (PA-18), Matt Cartwright (PA-8), Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Susan Wild (PA-7), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5) and Brendan Boyle (PA-2).

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today signed new orders for targeted mitigation efforts in response to the recent rise in COVID cases, primarily in southwest Pennsylvania, but also in other counties in the state, influencing the decision for statewide mitigation efforts for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework. The new orders take effect at 12:01 a.m., Thursday, July 16, 2020.

“During the past week, we have seen an unsettling climb in new COVID-19 cases,” Gov. Wolf said. “When we hit our peak on April 9, we had nearly two thousand new cases that day with other days’ cases hovering around 1,000. Medical experts looking at the trajectory we are on now are projecting that this new surge could soon eclipse the April peak. With our rapid case increases we need to act again now.”

The mitigation efforts included in the new orders from Gov. Wolf and Dr. Levine include:

Bars and Restaurants

All businesses in the retail food services industry, including restaurants, wineries, breweries, private clubs, and bars, are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales of food, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, as required by the order, including:

• Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving take-out sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.
• Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.
• Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.
• Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
• Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.
• Occupancy is limited to 25 percent of stated fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining, or 25 persons for a discrete indoor event or gathering in a restaurant. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Nightclubs

• All nightclubs, as defined by the Clean Indoor Air Act, 35 P.S. § 637.2, are prohibited from conducting operations.

Other events and gatherings

Events and gatherings must adhere to these gathering limitations:

• Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.
• Outdoor events and gatherings of more than 250 persons are prohibited.
• The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Teleworking

• Unless not possible, all businesses are required to conduct their operations in whole or in part remotely through individual teleworking of their employees in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which they do business.
• Where telework is not possible, employees may conduct in-person business operations, provided that the businesses fully comply with all substantive aspects of the business safety order, the worker safety order, and the masking order.

Gyms and fitness facilities

• All gyms and fitness facilities, while permitted to continue indoor operations, are directed to prioritize outdoor physical fitness activities. All activities must follow masking requirements as provided by the July 1 order, and must provide for social distancing requirements of persons being at least 6 feet apart, as well as being limited by any limitations related to gatherings.

Enforcement

Businesses and individuals in violation of these orders, issued pursuant to the authority granted to the Governor and the Secretary of Health under the law, including the Pennsylvania Disease Control and Prevention Law, could be subject to fines, business closure or other applicable enforcement measures.

Beginning with a spike in cases in Allegheny County in late June, Pennsylvania has seen cases continue to rise there and in other southwest counties, along with additional select counties in the state.

The state has identified three catalysts for case increases:

• First, some Pennsylvanians have been ignoring mask-wearing requirements and social distancing when they are visiting Pennsylvania bars and restaurants. There they are unknowingly spreading or picking up the virus.
• Second is out-of-state travel. Both by Pennsylvanians returning from travel to hotspot states, and travelers visiting our commonwealth from those hotspots.
• And third, a lack of national coordination has resulted in states in the south and west not committing to social distancing.

“The actions the governor and I are taking today are designed to be surgical and thus precise to prevent from repeating the cycle we saw in the spring,” said Dr. Levine. “We have gained a great deal of experience since the start of this outbreak and have learned from best practices from other states as well as counties right here in Pennsylvania.”

Gov. Wolf and Dr. Levine were joined via Skype by Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Rubin and his colleagues developed a unique model, which tracks and projects COVID-19 transmission in real-time across more than 500 U.S. counties with active outbreaks. The model was built to observe how social distancing, population density, daily temperatures and humidity affect the number and spread of COVID-19 infections over time across a given county.

“Over the last few weeks, public health reporting and our team’s modeling work have uncovered incontrovertible evidence that the virus is sweeping quickly into the northeast region of the United States from the west and south—where there has been a failure in some states to practice vigilance in masking and social distancing—and that it has already begun its resurgence in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “We can halt this momentum in its tracks. Governor Wolf’s measures will help stop the continued spread of the virus into Pennsylvania and its surrounding states, which would threaten the reopening of schools and our economy in the coming months.”

Pennsylvanians should consider that even with indoor dining limited and bars closed for on-premises alcohol consumption, cocktails to-go are still permitted and there is no shortage of outdoor dining options.

Small gatherings of friends in the backyard or at a local park are permitted and children and families are encouraged to responsibility take advantage of one or more of Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks or other local outdoor fitness options, including at local gyms that are following social distancing protocols.

“Children can visit local playgrounds, community pools, and enjoy outdoor activities with family,” Gov. Wolf said. “We want people to spend time together, but to do so while practicing social distancing and wearing masks when required, such as any time you leave your home and are not participating in outdoor fitness.

“We have seen these efforts work during the first wave in the spring, and they will work again if we all do our part. Thank you to every Pennsylvanian for your continued patience and support. I know you are eager for life to get back to normal, and I am, too.”

View the Governor’s order

View the Secretary of Health’s order

(Pittsburgh,Pa) Today, Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine will provide an update on COVID-19 in the commonwealth. They will be joined via Skype by Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, whose team developed a unique COVID-19 tracking and projection model, which sheds light on the risk of a COVID-19 resurgence in Pennsylvania. They will discuss the recent surge in cases and outline how the commonwealth can mitigate them.

Beaver County Radio, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and 99.3 FM  will carry Live Coverage of the Press Conference

Sources have said the Governor will also be adding restrictions of more mitigation efforts for the state of Pennsylvania targeting restaurants, bars and nightclubs as a result of rising COVID-19 cases, according to sources.

Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio as details continue to develop

Bill would give voters option to change declaration procedures, prohibit racial discrimination

HARRISBURG – After months of taking action to carry the voices of Pennsylvanians concerning the governor’s response to COVID-19, today the House voted to give the people of Pennsylvania the opportunity to decide for themselves how they wish to be governed during times of emergency.

Senate Bill 1166 would amend the constitution to limit an emergency declaration by the governor to 21 days, unless otherwise extended in whole or in part by a majority vote of the General Assembly.  The legislation would also provide constitutional protections against racial discrimination.

“Time is of the essence to get these two important issues before the people of Pennsylvania,” Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) said. “Amending our state Constitution is not something we should take lightly; however, we believe doing so is necessary. Our communities should decide for themselves how they wish to be governed.”

While current law states emergency declarations can last up to 90 days, a recent court ruling blocked the Legislature’s ability to end emergency declarations without the consent of the governor.

“We believe the power of our Commonwealth truly rests with the people. Pennsylvania is not a dictatorship, and the voters should ultimately decide,” Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) said. “We are a co-equal branch of government and have tried at every turn to work with the administration, including asking to join a multi-branch, bipartisan task force to manage this crisis. The governor turned us down, deciding instead to go it alone for months on end.”

The constitutional amendment now advances to the Senate for further consideration. It must pass both chambers of the General Assembly in consecutive sessions before it can be placed on the ballot for voters to consider.

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Keystone State News Connection

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania schools are scheduled to reopen on August 17, but teachers are concerned the planning and funding needed to reopen with the COVID pandemic still in progress simply aren’t there.A recent analysis by school officials said it could cost the average size school district as much as $1.8 million to reopen all its buildings under new safety guidelines. But many school districts are already struggling to make ends meet.Beth Yoder, president of the Pottstown Federation of Teachers, said rushing to reopen will put teachers at risk.”This is a disaster in the making, going back to school without understanding what’s going to happen when you don’t have teachers because they are either quarantined or they’re sick, or they’re dead,” Yoder said.The American Federation of Teachers has prepared a plan to safely reopen schools that begins with maintaining social distancing until new COVID cases decline for two weeks.Yoder said the Pottstown School District was underfunded by more than $13 million before the pandemic. She noted reopening probably will rely on some level of remote instruction, but many students don’t have the technology to do that.”That puts them even further behind in a virtual setting,” she said. “And when they do graduate, they don’t have as many tools in their toolbox because of the lack of funding.”The HEROES Act, which passed in the U.S. House in May, would have provided more than $20 billion to Pennsylvania schools, but the bill has not cleared the Senate.Yoder cautioned that teachers who have health conditions like heart disease or those who are cancer survivors will be especially at risk.”We’re going to be requesting ADA accommodations in order to safely teach,” she said. “But if the district doesn’t get money from the HEROES Act, we’re not going to be able to implement much of anything.”The American Federation of Teachers has said recovering from the pandemic will require expertise, planning and funding that makes strengthening communities a priority.