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.

Pa. State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale gave an update on his investigation into the process used by Gov. Tom Wolf’s Administration to allow for businesses to receive a waiver during the COVId-19 Crisis.

In the two weeks since DePasquale started his investigation he said his office has already received more than three dozen complaints from businesses throughout Pennsylvania.

“We’ve had more correspondence on this and it’s over a 100 than any other audit I’ve ever done,” he said.

DePasquale said his office received complaints from multiple industries, more from real estate companies than any other, and mostly from small-to-medium sized businesses.

The audit is focused on three key objectives:

• Evaluating the criteria used to determine which businesses where life-sustaining in the first place.
• Investigating how the waiver program was developed.
• Looking into whether the granting of waivers was done fairly.

It will also include checking if “any outside influence played a part in the final decision,” according to DePasquale.

The state received a significant number of letters on behalf of certain businesses from lobbyists and legislators.

Wolf to ease restrictions elsewhere, but still has concerns
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf will announce that more counties can see some of his tightest pandemic restrictions lifted, as counties and lawmakers pressure him to ease his orders. In a telephone news conference Thursday with reporters, Wolf said he will make his decision Friday morning. However, he said he hasn’t changed his criteria for deciding which counties can emerge from his stay-at-home order and his business shutdown order. His health secretary echoed that, saying the administration will continue to count cases in prisons, factories and nursing homes in a county’s total. That is bad news for counties that blame much of their outbreak on a single institution.

Pa State Rep. Aaro Bernstine  via his Facebook Page is reporting that Beaver County is on the list of counties that Gov. Wolf will announce today that will be moving into the yellow phase next Friday May 22, 2020.

Trump says he’ll replenish stockpile for future pandemics
By JILL COLVIN and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile. He says that includes bringing critical manufacturing back to the U.S. from abroad. Trump announced his plans Thursday while visiting a Pennsylvania medical equipment distributor. His comments came the same day a whistleblower testified that the Trump administration had failed to properly prepare for the current pandemic. Trump is also trying to convince the public that it’s time for states to begin to reopen, even as the virus continues to spread. He is calling on Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor to open up the state.

House to vote Friday on more virus aid, despite GOP skeptics
By ANDREW TAYLOR and ALAN FRAM Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House is pressing ahead with votes on another massive rescue bill that would pump almost $1 trillion to states and local governments, renew $1,200 cash payments for individuals, and extend a $600 weekly supplemental federal unemployment benefit. Friday’s measure — with a $3 trillion-plus price tag — promises to pass largely along party lines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has loaded the 1,815-page measure with a slew of Democratic priorities, and it has earned a White House veto threat and a scathing assessment from top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called it “a totally unserious effort.”

Wolf Administration Launches LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program to Ease Utility Costs for Pennsylvanians Affected by COVID-19 Crisis

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today announced a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Recovery Crisis Program to help Pennsylvanians during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Beginning in May, DHS will work with utility companies and deliverable fuel vendors to help Pennsylvanians at risk of losing access to electric, natural gas, or deliverable fuels such as oil, pay utility bills, and maintain access to home energy services.

“The COVID-19 public health crisis has created difficult economic situations for households around Pennsylvania. For low-income families, these uncertain times are creating even greater challenges to meeting essential needs and making ends make,” said Secretary Miller. “The LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program will help households across Pennsylvania bridge this uncertainty and the recovery period ahead.”

LIHEAP provides assistance for home energy bills, helping ensure continuity of utility and other energy services for low-income Pennsylvanians. Assistance is available for both renters and homeowners. The LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program will offer a crisis benefit and a supplemental payment for households that previously received a crisis payment made directly to utility companies or fuel providers to help offset costs for home utilities.

LIHEAP Recovery Crisis benefits may be available if a household:

• Has their main or secondary energy source completely shut-off;
• Is notified that their utility service will be shut off in the next 60 days;
• Has broken energy equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replace; or,
• Is in danger of being without fuel in 15 days or less.
• Owes funds to a utility provider that would constitute a service termination if not for the Public Utility Commission’s moratorium on terminations.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Act provided $900 million in additional LIHEAP funds to states. Pennsylvania received $34.9 million in LIHEAP funds through CARES. DHS will use these funds and funds remaining from the 2019-20 LIHEAP season to fund the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program.

LIHEAP Recovery Crisis program will open on May 18, 2020, and run through August 31, 2020, or until all budgeted funding is expended. The LIHEAP Recovery Crisis maximum benefit will be $800 for this period. Eligibility guidelines will be the same as those used during the 2019-20 LIHEAP season, and DHS will permit a file transfer agreement with utility providers to allow a utility to submit a LIHEAP Recovery Crisis application on behalf of a consenting household, provided the household has already received LIHEAP Cash to the utility during the regular season. Utility terminations are prohibited for the duration of the Governor’s disaster declaration, but past due balances can be submitted as proof of Recovery Crisis eligibility if the utility company confirms that the balance would result in a termination if the moratorium was not in place.

DHS will also automatically issue a $100 supplemental payment to approximately 100,000 households that received LIHEAP Crisis funds during the 2019-20 season. Any household that has not reached the maximum benefit in the 2019-20 season can apply for additional assistance up to the $800 maximum limit.

More information about LIHEAP and household income eligibility is available here. LIHEAP Recovery Crisis applications and instructions can be found here or can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

Visit pa.gov for a “Responding to COVID-19” guide or the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s dedicated Coronavirus webpage for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.

Guidance to DHS providers related to COVID-19 is available here.