Category: News

Department of Health: Cancel Duplicate Appointments to Help Ensure Vaccine is Available for All

Department of Health: Cancel Duplicate Appointments to Help Ensure Vaccine is Available for All

HARRISBURG, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam today urged all Pennsylvanians to remember to both attend a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment and cancel any unneeded appointments so that all vaccine doses get into the arms of people.

“All three available vaccines are safe and effective, and we need folks to get the first available vaccine,” Acting Secretary Beam said. “If you have scheduled appointments at numerous places as part of your attempt to get vaccinated, please remember to call those other locations and cancel the remaining appointments. You can let them know that you have been vaccinated.

“Each time someone is a no-show for an appointment, it increases the chances of a dose of vaccine being wasted if the appointment cannot be refilled by someone else who has not yet been vaccinated.”

There are currently three COVID-19 vaccines available, Janssen, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. All three vaccines are safe and effective at preventing hospitalizations, serious illness and death. It is important that Pennsylvanians take the first vaccine available to help quickly and efficiently vaccinate as many people as possible.

Vaccine providers work to ensure vaccine is ready for each appointment made. When someone does not show up for an appointment, their dose has already been removed from the storage requirements and often has to be used that day.

Previously, vaccine providers who had leftover doses for individuals who did not show up for their scheduled appointment called others who were on waiting lists. However, many vaccine providers have exhausted waiting lists.

When an individual receives their first dose (or single dose) of vaccine, it is important to call other locations where they may have also scheduled an appointment. This will not only prevent waste, but also allows that appointment slot to be opened to someone who still needs to be vaccinated.

Vaccine dose waste is very low – less than one-tenth of one percentage point and missed appointments are thought to be a cause of some waste, not to mention that an unfilled appointment means one less person getting vaccinated in a timely manner.

“Throughout this pandemic, Pennsylvanians have shown their commitment to working together,” Acting Secretary Beam said. “As we work to vaccinate all those who wish to be vaccinated, we ask people to give a courtesy call to cancel unneeded appointments with other providers with whom they previously scheduled appointments. This will allow us to ensure that each shot is put into the arm of a person.”

It is also important that people visit their vaccine provider for their second dose. Providers are working to schedule second dose appointments at the time of first dose appointment or immediately after first doses are received.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

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”.

Georgetown Pa. Man Accused of Assaulting a Women in Greene Twp.

Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they have arrested a Georgetown man for Assault with bodily injury.

Troopers say via release that they were called to 301 Sunrise Drive in Greene Twp., Beaver County for a report that 59-year-old Donald Galusky, of Georgetown, struck a 61-year-old female, also from Georgetown, in the neck area with an open hand. Galusky is also accused of threating the victim by telling her he was going to kill her. Troopers took Galusky into custody. Charges were filed at the local magistrate’s office and Galusky was transported to the Beaver County Jail.

THE CITY OF ALIQUIPPA HELD MEMORIAL SERVICE AND DEDICATION FOR CHIEF AND FALLEN OFFICER

(Photos Courtesy of City of Aliquippa and Sandy Giordano)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) ON FRIDAY MORNING, A MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS  CONDUCTED BY CITY  CHAPLAIN REV. STEVEN MCKEOWN IN REMEMBRANCE OF POLICE CHIEF  ROBERT W, SEALOCK WHO DIED SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2020 IN A PITTSBURGH HOSPITAL.. HE SUFFERED A SEVERE ASTHMA  ATTACK WHILE ON DUTY THURSDAY,MARCH 26, 2020

ON FRIDAY, FLAGS WERE HALF STAFF IN FRONT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND REMAINED   THAT WAY   YESTERDAY.
AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, FELLOW MEMBERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, CITY OFFICIALS, FAMILY AND RESIDENTS WERE PRESENT TO HONOR  THE LATE CHIEF SEALOCK. A MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED IN HIS HONOR, MAOR DWAN B. WALKER TOLD the crowd  he was a husband, father, friend and chief . THE MAYOR  TOLD CHIEF SEALOCK’S WIDOW DONNA, YOU’LL NEVER BE ALONE.”. …
A MEMORIAL HONORING TH  MEMORY OF OFFICER JAMES NAIM WAS DEDICATED. HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED WHILE ON PATROL IN LINMAR ON MARCH 15, 2001.
POLICE CHIEF JOHN LANE  SAID THE PRESENCE OF SO MANY TO HONOR  CHIEF SEALOCK’S MEMORY, SHOWS  THAT THE  BROTHERHOOD THAT HAS BEEN LACKING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.”‘IT SHOWS HOW MUCH CHIEF SEALOCK WAS LOVED.”
(Photos Courtesy of City of Aliquippa and Sandy Giordano)

Southbound I-79 Nightly Lane Restrictions

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing nightly lane restrictions on southbound Interstate 79 in Robinson and Kennedy townships, Allegheny County will begin Sunday night, April 11 weather permitting.

A slow rolling single-lane closure on southbound I-79 will occur nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Friday morning, April 16 between the Neville Island Bridge and the Moon Run (Exit 60B) interchange.  Crews will conduct concrete testing operations.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Agriculture Conservation Bill Wins Praise

Keystone State News Connection

April 12, 2021

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Farmers and conservationists are praising a bill introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate that would bring funding to stop agricultural runoff from polluting rivers and streams.

Senate Bill 465, called the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, would provide targeted funding for conservation projects on local farms through their county conservation districts.

The Keystone State has more than 25,000 miles of impaired waterways, and farm runoff is a major contributor of sediment and nutrient pollution.

Bill Chain, senior agriculture program manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Pennsylvania, said farmers want to make sustainability and conservation improvements on their land, but in an economy devastated by COVID-19, many lack the capital they need to make those investments.

“I’ve never met a farmer that didn’t want to leave the farm better than when they found it,” Chain asserted. “That’s their legacy. Increasingly, farmers want conservation to be part of that legacy.”

He added reducing farm runoff is critical to meeting Pennsylvania’s obligations under the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint.

Almost one third of Pennsylvania streams don’t meet standards for drinking, fishing or recreation, and Chain noted agricultural pollution affects stream biology all the way up to the top of the food chain.

“They would be our prize trout and bass, and we see reductions in that,” Chain reported. “We take this to the Susquehanna River and take it further down to the Chesapeake Bay it has disastrous results there as well.”

Nutrient and sediment pollution flowing into Chesapeake Bay affects the growth of underwater grasses, impacts habitat for aquatic species and causes harmful algal blooms.

The program would send resources to counties based on criteria including the number of acres in production, livestock density and miles of impaired streams.

Chain pointed out it puts decision-making at the local level.

“County conservation districts are governed by local boards of directors and that board is diverse, usually including a county commissioner and many farmers,” Chain explained.

Senate Bill 465 has been referred to the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

2-week deer season approved, rifles banned from turkey hunts

2-week deer season approved, rifles banned from turkey hunts
HARRIBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission has approved concurrent hunting for antlered and antlerless deer through the duration of the 2021-22 firearms deer season. Last year, 10 of the 23 wildlife management units in the state had two weeks of concurrent buck and doe hunting, while the other 13 had one week of buck-only hunting, followed by a week of concurrent hunting. Commissioners also made what they called a “difficult” vote to ban use of rifles for fall turkey hunting, citing a declining turkey population. Commissioners approved the use of digital licenses in place of standard paper licenses.

4 freight train cars derail in Altoona; no injuries reported

4 freight train cars derail in Altoona; no injuries reported
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say several cars of a freight train derailed in a Pennsylvania city, but no injuries were reported. A security officer for Station Medical Center told WJAC-TV that four cars came off the track in downtown Altoona at about 10:30 p.m. Friday. The officer said the Norfolk Southern train was hauling coal, and the track needed repairs. The president of Altoona firefighters local 299, Patrick Miller, told WTAJ-TV that there were no concerns about hazardous material.

4 girls, 12 and 14 years old, accused of setting house fire

4 girls, 12 and 14 years old, accused of setting house fire
FERNDALE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say four teenage girls ranging in age from 12 to 14 are accused of setting a fire that destroyed an unoccupied western Pennsylvania house earlier this month, sending a police officer and a firefighter to the hospital. Police in the suburban Johnstown borough of Ferndale say a 12-year-old from and three 14-year-olds face multiple charges of felony arson as well as causing catastrophe, trespassing and endangering another person. Chief John Blake says they told police that they set the fire because “they were bored.” The girls were released to their parents’ custody and their case will be heard in juvenile court.

Over 6.2 Million Vaccinations to Date, First Doses of Vaccine to 36% of Population, PA Ranks 20th Among 50 States for First Dose Vaccinations

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 10, there were 4,882 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,068,974.

There are 2,439 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 496 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 3,900 lower than it was at the peak on December 25, 2020. The current 14-day average is also below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3, 2020. However, the moving average of number of hospitalized patients has started to increase.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of March 26 – April 1 stood at 9.4%.

The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 9 there were 40 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 25,402 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine was first allocated to Pennsylvania the week of March 1, and the commonwealth is using it for a special initiative involving K-12 and early education educators and support staff. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.

Vaccine highlights

  • According to the CDC, as of Saturday morning, April 10, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 36% of its eligible population, and the state ranks 20th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population.
  • According to the CDC, as of Saturday morning, April 10, Pennsylvania ranks 6th among all 50 states for total doses administered.
  • Vaccine providers have administered 6,233,317 total vaccine doses as of Saturday, April 10.
  • 2,299,256 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 88,800 people per day receiving vaccinations.
  • 1,828,141 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
  • 4,127,397 people have received at least their first dose.

 

  • This week, a total of 6,580,640 doses will have been allocated through April 10:
    • 442,310 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
    • 268,010 second doses will have been allocated this week.

 

  • To date, we have administered 6,233,317 doses total through April 10:
    • First/single doses:  4,127,397 administered
    • Second doses:  2,105,920 administered

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home, even if fully vaccinated. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 136,049 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 639 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 4,220,187 individuals who have tested negative to date.

In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 69,805 resident cases of COVID-19, and 14,458 cases among employees, for a total of 84,263 at 1,582 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 12,988 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here. Note that the number of deaths reported to NEDSS is not exactly the same as the COVID-19 related deaths reported by the death registry. The number of deaths among nursing and personal care home residents and employees is taken from the PA-NEDSS death data, as this information is not available in the death registry data.

Approximately 26,889 of our total cases are among health care workers.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, April 9:

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

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”.