Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf administration, in coordination with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, announced today that mitigation orders except masking will be lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 at 12:01 AM.

The current order requiring Pennsylvanians to wear masks will be lifted when 70% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home. In accordance with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians are not required to wear a mask during certain activities.

“We continue to make significant progress in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 and as more Pennsylvania adults get vaccinated and guidance from the CDC evolves, we can continue to move forward with our reopening efforts,” ​Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam said. “I encourage Pennsylvanians to take the critical steps needed to put this pandemic behind us by getting vaccinated, follow through with both doses if you receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and continue to take steps like masking, frequent hand washing and sanitizing and social distancing.”

Requirements such as testing and reporting ​new cases will remain in place for hospitals and long-term care facilities. Maintaining requirements for hospitals and long-term care facilities wi​ll allow Pennsylvania to continue to closely monitor COVID-19 spread while lifting other restrictions.

The Department of Health recommends that Pennsylvanians refer to CDC guidance and recommendations regarding ongoing COVID-19 safety measures and procedures.

These updates will not prevent municipalities and school districts from ​continuing and implementing stricter mitigation efforts.

“With millions of Pennsylvanians getting vaccinated, it’s time to plan the transition back to normal,” said Sen. Art Haywood. Hospitalizations and deaths are down. This action today is a key step forward.”

“While the restrictions that were put in place at the outset of the pandemic have been a major source of frustration for many Pennsylvanians and businesses, it is the collaborative work of this bipartisan Task Force that is allowing us to finally roll back the restrictions and get back to normal life,” said Sen. Ryan Aument.

“I’m thrilled after more than a year that we are able to lift these restrictions so that we can move to more normal life,” said Rep. Tim O’Neal. “This will help grow our economy and assist our small businesses that have sacrificed so much due to COVID-19. Thank you to Pennsylvanians who have chosen to be vaccinated. Your efforts have helped us arrive at today.”

“I am proud of the progress we have made with vaccinations throughout Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Bridget Kosierowski. “Lifting mitigation orders on Memorial Day and announcing that masking orders will be lifted once 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s adults are fully vaccinated are all benefits from following the scientific medical research and data. Many sacrifices had been made over the past year while we waited for help. The help is now here in the form of a vaccine and we must do everything we can to encourage everyone to receive their vaccination so we can overcome this pandemic. Let’s follow the science, because it’s the path to us all returning to normalcy.”

The governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic remains in place.

All Pennsylvanians ages 16 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. The provider map is available on the Department of Health’s website. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

More information is available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

Hyundai recalls over 390K vehicles for possible engine fires
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By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer
America’s normal temperature is now a degree hotter than just 20 years ago. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday released climate figures showing the nation’s new normal temperature keeps getting hotter. They also show normal is wetter in the eastern and central U.S. while drier in the West. Meteorologists every decade update normal climate numbers for the United States based on 30 years of data. The figures show climate change at work. The U.S. normal annual temperature is now 53.3 degrees Fahrenheit based on data from 1991 to 2020. Normal was 52.3 degrees just 20 years earlier.

By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been released from a federal prison on furlough, while he awaits potential placement to home confinement. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday. Silver was serving his more than six-year sentence at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, in a corruption case. The person says he’s been released on furlough while awaiting potential placement to home confinement to serve his sentence at home. The 77-year-old began serving his sentence in August after years of fending off going behind bars. He has a projected release date from federal custody in 2026.

By ROGELIO V. SOLIS Associated Press
YAZOO CITY, Miss. (AP) — Forecasters say much of the South could see more severe weather Tuesday. Tornadoes struck parts of the region Sunday night and Monday, causing heavy damage in Mississippi and flipping trucks on a Texas interstate. The national Storm Prediction Center says the worst weather could hit parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. That zone is home to more than 11 million people. One death was reported Tuesday in Tennessee when a tree fell on a mobile home. Besides tornadoes, threats include wind gusts of up to 70 mph and hail the size of golf balls. Authorities have recorded two weather-related deaths, both in Georgia.

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Carmelo Anthony looked like he was done just a couple of seasons ago. Now, he’s part of a truly exclusive club in the NBA. Welcome to the Top 10, Melo. Anthony scored 14 points in Portland’s 123-114 loss to Atlanta to move past Elvin Hayes for 10th place on the career scoring list with 27,318. Anthony reached the milestone early in the second quarter Monday night when hitting a 3-pointer while getting fouled and completing a 4-point play. Unlike some other milestones, Anthony calls this a truly special moment that he doesn’t plan to take for granted.

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO and FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Officials say an elevated section of Mexico City’s metro collapsed and at least 23 people have been killed. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said four bodies were still inside the train, which plunged toward a busy boulevard late Monday night. It was one of the deadliest episodes in the history of the subway system, which is among the busiest in the world. One subway car was left dangling with bodies inside, and a crane was brought in to lower it to the ground. Officials say 77 people were hospitalized. Sheinbaum said one of the concrete beams collapsed as the train passed over it.

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin shifting how it allocates COVID-19 shots to states, moving doses from states with lower demand to those with stronger interest in vaccines. The change away from a strict by-population allocation comes as demand for the coronavirus vaccines have dropped nationwide, with some states turning down part or all of their weekly dose allotments. The federal government will now shift some of those doses to areas with higher demand, in an effort to speed shots in those areas. An administration official confirmed the shift ahead of an expected public announcement.

LAMB INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILL TO COMBAT

OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN RURAL AREAS

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04) along with original cosponsors Representatives Abigail Spanberger (VA-7) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), introduced the Rural Area Opioid Prevention Pilot Program Act.  This bipartisan legislation will fully authorize the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) pilot program, the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Initiative, providing the agency with the resources it needs to implement community response programs in rural areas with a focus on reducing opioid overdose deaths and providing alternatives to incarceration.

“Like many states, Pennsylvania has seen an increase in opioid deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lamb.  “While Congress has rightfully been focused on the pandemic, several reports indicate that COVID-19 has exacerbated issues with opioid use.  This smart, commonsense legislation will immediately help the communities that need it the most.”

“I am honored to lead this bipartisan effort with Rep. Lamb.  The promising pilot programs included in this bill are a critical step forward as we work to curb the opioid epidemic, taking a targeted approach and ensuring rural Americans suffering from addiction have the resources they need to recover and get a second chance.  The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened opioid abuse, and it is important that we work to tackle this issue immediately,” said Feenstra.

“Rural America has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic for years, and Iowa is no exception.  The COVID-19 pandemic only made things worse, and we need to be doing more to help those fighting addiction,” said Miller-Meeks.  “The Rural Area Opioid Prevention Pilot Program Act is a step in the right direction to help rural communities combat this crisis.  Helping Americans take on opioid abuse and addiction is a bipartisan issue, and I am proud to partner with my colleagues to find solutions to this problem.”

“During the pandemic, our nation witnessed a record number of overdose deaths — and here in Virginia, experts project that overdose deaths increased by more than 40 percent from the previous year.  Behind these statistics are personal, heartbreaking stories of parents who have lost their children to the agonizing loss of overdose.  As we focus on our recovery from this pandemic, I’m keeping their pleas to help other families avoid this loss in the forefront of my mind,” said Spanberger. “This bipartisan legislation makes sure the Department of Justice has the resources and support it needs to help build a pathway towards healing and recovery, especially throughout rural America, which has been particularly impacted by the substance abuse crisis.  I’m proud to help introduce the Rural Area Opioid Prevention Pilot Program Act, and I am committed to building new ways for communities in Central Virginia and across the country to combat skyrocketing rates of overdose deaths.”

Co-funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Justice Institute (SJI), the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Initiative is a DOJ pilot program that integrates public safety and public health approaches and blends interagency expertise and funding to address the epidemic.  The Greater Communities Act will authorize and codify this program by providing the federal funding to continue building on its early successes.

Since early 2020, 21 rural American communities that have borne the brunt of the opioid epidemic have received millions in federal funding to develop tailored and innovative responses to gaps in prevention, treatment and/or recovery services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system.  The funds enable rural areas to implement evidence-based solutions and promising practices in a way that utilizes the unique assets of their communities.  The goal of the program is to reduce opioid overdose deaths in high-risk rural communities while supporting and promoting a shared understanding of the patterns and characteristics of local opioid use.

Click here for more information on the Rural Area Opioid Prevention Pilot Program Act.