Keystone State News Connection

August 13, 2021

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Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has announced an expectation that 80% of nursing-home staff in the Commonwealth be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 1.

Thursday’s announcement comes just a few days after Gov. Tom Wolf announced workers in all state health-care facilities and high-risk congregate-care facilities are required to be fully vaccinated by Sep. 7.

Employees who don’t meet the deadline will be required to get tested for COVID-19 weekly. The governor said the ‘vaccine or test’ requirement is essential to keep residents of these facilities safe.

“If you live in any community with anybody who’s vulnerable, you’re a shield only if you get vaccinated,” Wolf stated. “If you don’t choose to be vaccinated, you’re not going to serve as a shield, and you’re putting the people around you – your neighbors, your family members, your friends, your community – at risk.”

Also starting Sep. 7, any new hires at state facilities must be vaccinated before starting their job. The requirement affects 25,000 workers across the state.

Starting Oct. 1, fully vaccinated state employees will be eligible for eight hours of paid time off.

Dr. Michael Ripchinski, chief medical officer at Lancaster General Hospital, said as COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Pennsylvania, he is encouraging businesses and organizations in the state to adopt policies that encourage their workers to get vaccinated.

“It’s my growing concern that we have the Delta variant, which could increase our risk of transmitting COVID-19 and having increased hospitalizations,” Ripchinski cautioned. “And it’s those employers of any size, large and small, [that] play an essential role in making sure that we can increase those vaccination rates and put the pandemic behind us.”

He added as part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Lancaster General Health is working to vaccinate all staff by Sep. 1. Nearly 64% of adults in Pennsylvania are fully vaccinated.

Guards union warns Wolf of legal action over vaccine mandate
By MARK SCOLFORO and MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The union that represents about 10,000 guards in Pennsylvania’s state prisons is telling Gov. Tom Wolf it plans legal action to stop his effort to force them to get COVID-19 vaccines over the next month. The president of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association sent a letter to the Democratic governor Thursday. It comes two days after Wolf ordered the guards and some other state workers to get fully vaccinated by Sept. 7 or face weekly testing. Union president John Eckenrode is telling Wolf his policy announcement is “a slap in the face.” Wolf press secretary Lyndsay Kensinger says the union’s opposition to the initiative “is extremely disappointing.”

Point Park University updates policy on masks

PITTSBURGH, PA – Point Park University has been consistent throughout the pandemic in following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Allegheny County Health Department and our medical partners at UPMC on best practices to keep our campus and campus community as safe as possible from COVID.

With the recent uptick in Delta variant cases in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and following CDC guidelines, Point Park will reinstitute masking requirements effective Friday, August 13, for everyone while inside University buildings. This includes all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

Masks can be removed when dining in University spaces while eating and drinking, when inside private offices and when students are in their residential areas.

Nursing home overhaul bill would boost staffing, oversight
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Democratic senators are introducing legislation that responds to the ravages of COVID-19 in nursing homes. The bill unveiled Tuesday from a group led by Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania aims to increase nurse staffing, improve infection control and bolster inspections. It’s part of a broader overhaul of long-term care that’s just getting started. Separately, President Joe Biden is asking Congress for $400 billion to expand home and community based alternatives to nursing homes. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities house a tiny proportion of the U.S. population but they’re estimated to account for about 3 in 10 coronavirus deaths.

Nursing home overhaul bill would boost staffing, oversight
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Democratic senators are introducing legislation that responds to the ravages of COVID-19 in nursing homes. The bill unveiled Tuesday from a group led by Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania aims to increase nurse staffing, improve infection control and bolster inspections. It’s part of a broader overhaul of long-term care that’s just getting started. Separately, President Joe Biden is asking Congress for $400 billion to expand home and community based alternatives to nursing homes. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities house a tiny proportion of the U.S. population but they’re estimated to account for about 3 in 10 coronavirus deaths.

(Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)

Encourages State Employees to Get Vaccinated with Incentive

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced that commonwealth employees in state health care facilities and high-risk congregate care facilities will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 7, 2021. Individuals who are not vaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Additionally, beginning September 7, all new external hires in these facilities must be vaccinated before commencing employment.

This initiative will affect approximately 25,000 employees working in 24-hour-operated state facilities including state hospitals, state homes for people with intellectual disabilities, veterans homes, community health centers, and state correction institutions.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have learned that the COVID-19 virus thrives in settings where people live in close proximity such as congregate care. These individuals are often our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians who are unable to leave these facilities and rely on the direct care of the staff. We want our residents and their loved ones to have peace of mind that we are doing everything we can to keep them safe,” said Gov Wolf. “It is our responsibility to ​do our part to protect our most vulnerable neighbors and stop the spread of this highly contagious virus.”

In addition to the ​”vaccine or test​” requirement, Governor Wolf announced a vaccine incentive for state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction. Starting October 1, 2021, ​all vaccinated state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction are eligible for an additional 7.5 or 8 hours paid time off. The Office of Administration will work with employees and agencies to develop a mechanism for employees to confirm proof of vaccination.

The Wolf Administration is actively working with state employee unions on implementation of these policies.

“As a leading employer in Pennsylvania, the commonwealth must stand up and provide an example for other businesses to follow,” said Gov. Wolf. “It is vitally important that employees have the confidence that they can safely work and serve their fellow Pennsylvanians. Even more importantly, we hope this incentive will help Pennsylvanians stay healthy and safe from dangerous variants of COVID-19.”

Gov. Wolf was joined by Lancaster General Hospital’s (LGH) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Ripchinski who spoke on the importance of vaccinations and the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. As part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS), LGH is working to educate and vaccinate all employees and clinical staff by September 1, 2021, as part of UPHS’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Currently, more than 63​% of Pennsylvanians 18 and older are fully vaccinated, with the state ranking fifth among all 50 states for total doses administered.

“Pennsylvania has had a lot of success in our vaccination efforts, but 63% is not the goal,” said Gov. Wolf. “Sixty-three percent still leaves far too many eligible Pennsylvanians unvaccinated, which puts their communities at risk. Vaccines are free, available, and effective. I encourage every eligible Pennsylvanian who hasn’t gotten vaccinated to sign up today.”

All Pennsylvanians age​s 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. Use Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.

Fake COVID-19 vaccination cards worry college officials
By ROSELYN ROMERO Associated Press
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards. Dozens of students interviewed by The Associated Press said they were aware of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, though none admitted to actually using one. On the dark web, sellers on websites such as Counterfeit Center, Jimmy Black Market, and Buy Express Documents list COVID-19 vaccine cards, certificates and passports for sale, some costing €400 Euros or about $473 in U.S. dollars. The easy access to fake documents has set off alarms at some schools where officials worry that unvaccinated students with forged credentials might cause an outbreak.

(File Photo)

(Allegheny County, Pa.) Starting next week, Allegheny County will require all new hires to be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting next week and current unvaccinated employees will have to follow new measures. Executive branch employees, including contractors, who haven’t proved they’re vaccinated will have to mask up indoors and outdoors if they can’t social distance. They’ll also be required to get tested regularly.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced the new measures Thursday, citing the spread of the delta variant.

(File Photo)

Pennsylvania to start housing unvaccinated inmates together
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania prison system is stopping in-person visits for the thousands of inmates who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Corrections Department also said Thursday it will begin housing unvaccinated inmates together next week. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel says the policy limits the contact that the unvaccinated have with potential carriers of the coronavirus. The changes won’t affect inmates’ access to classes and programs. Additional terminals will be installed in the unvaccinated units for video visitation. Nearly 8,000 inmates in state prisons are not vaccinated. That’s about one in five. The prison system provides vaccinations to all inmates who want one. It also requires everyone to wear masks indoors.

Penn State University requires masking at all campuses
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State University says it will require students, staff and visitors at all its campuses to wear masks while indoors. Wednesday’s announcement came as the state deals with a surge in coronavirus cases. Pennsylvania is now reporting more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 per day, nearly tripling over the past two weeks. Penn State officials say the reinstated masking rule will apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status. The school is also urging students and employees to get vaccinated. Officials say anyone not fully vaccinated by Aug. 9 will be required to undergo virus testing during the fall semester.