Category: News

Wolf Administration Expands Testing Sites Across the Commonwealth

Wolf Administration Expands Testing Sites Across the Commonwealth

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Director of Testing and Contact Tracing Michael Huff today announced the extension of the Department of Health’s contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) to provide COVID-19 testing in five regions across Pennsylvania to help contain local spread of COVID-19.

“Every day COVID continues to spread in the commonwealth, every day our numbers continue to rise, and that puts our health care system and our health care workers at greater risk,” Gov. Wolf said. “To help stop the spread, we are announcing a new testing strategy in the commonwealth, one that will help improve access to testing for Pennsylvanians in every region of the state.”

Over the next 12 weeks, five strike teams will provide regional testing for 61 counties. The six counties not receiving testing from AMI have county health departments providing other means of COVID-19 testing.

“We have seen a rapid increase of positive case counts reaching record-high levels, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Michael Huff said. “AMI has been a significant partner to the Department of Health by providing pop-up testing in counties with a high positivity-rate and other factors contributing to outbreaks of COVID-19 across the commonwealth.

“These testing sites are open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The initial contract with AMI had two strike teams to provide testing in two different counties simultaneously. AMI deployed to:

  • Centre county, testing 2,492 patients total;
  • Columbia county, testing 1,068 patients total;
  • Indiana county, testing 566 patients total;
  • Berks county, testing 3,354 patients total;
  • Northumberland county, testing 639 patients total;
  • Lebanon county, testing 908 patients total;
  • Huntingdon county, testing 1,396 patients total;
  • Westmoreland county, testing 916 patients total;
  • Blair county, testing 3,820 patients total;
  • Bradford county, testing 1,513 patients total; and
  • Lackawanna county, testing 1,856 patients total.

The department decided to deploy testing based on the total number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people in a county in the past 14 days as well as where outbreaks were happening, county population, and other metrics. The initial AMI testing contract and the extension were funded by the ELC Enhancing Detection grant.

The Department of Health believes that increased testing will assist in determining the prevalence of the virus and assist the counties in moving forward. Counties of concern, identified as those with percent positives above 5 percent, can be found on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.

Beginning Wednesday, December 2, drive-thru and indoor walk-in testing clinics will be held to contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the following five counties:

  • Bedford;
  • Mifflin;
  • Tioga; and
  • Northampton.

Testing will be available daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM starting Wednesday, December 2 through Sunday, December 6.

Beginning Friday, December 4, drive-thru and indoor walk-in testing clinics will be held in Butler county. Testing will be available daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM through Tuesday, December 8.

The testing site addresses are:

  • Butler County:  Michelle Krill Field, 100 Pullman Park Pl., Butler, PA, 16001;
  • Bedford County:  Bedford High School parking lot, 330 West John St., Bedford, PA, 15522;
  • Mifflin County:  Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, 1150 Riverside Drive, Lewistown, PA, 17044;
  • Tioga County:  North Penn Mansfield High School, 73 W. Wellsboro St., Mansfield, PA, 16933; and
  • Northampton County:  William Penn Highway Park & Ride, Emrick Blvd., Easton, PA, 18045.

Up to 450 patients can be tested per day at each location. Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free to all patients. Patients must be ages three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID or insurance card. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.

Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await test results. Individuals who live with other people should self-quarantine in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Others living in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result. Individuals who test positive will receive a phone call from AMI while individuals who test negative will receive a secured-PDF emailed to them from AMI.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

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”.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

Unveiling economic team, Biden pledges, ‘Help is on the way’

Unveiling economic team, Biden pledges, ‘Help is on the way’
By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has introduced top advisers he says will help his administration rebuild an economy hammered by the coronavirus pandemic. He declared on Tuesday, “I know times are tough, but I want you to know that help is on the way.” Biden says he’s chosen a “first-rate team” that is “tested and experienced.” He picked liberal advisers who have long prioritized the nation’s workers and government efforts to address economic inequality, as unemployment remains high and as the COVID-19 outbreak widens the gulf between average people and the nation’s most well off. The virus is resurgent across the country amid holiday travel and colder weather.

Suspect snatches $24K from Pennsylvania casino

Suspect snatches $24K from Pennsylvania casino
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Police say a man who asked to use a phone made off with approximately $24,000 from a casino in Pennsylvania. The heist took place around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday at Harrah’s Casino in Chester. Police say the suspect asked an employee in the area where customers bet on horse races if he could use the phone. The employee was counting cash from a money drawer. Police say the employee turned away for a moment and the suspect grabbed the cash and took off. Police plan to review surveillance video. The investigation is ongoing.

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A man who asked to use a phone made off with approximately $24,000 from a Pennsylvania casino early Tuesday, police said.
The heist unfolded around 12:15 a.m. in the area where customers bet on horse races at Harrah’s Casino in Chester.
According to police, the suspect asked an employee who was counting cash from a money drawer if he could use the phone.
The employee turned away for a moment and the suspect grabbed the cash and took off, police said.
Police planned to review surveillance video.
The investigation was ongoing.

Cosby’s sex assault conviction goes before high-level court

Cosby’s sex assault conviction goes before high-level court
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An appeals court has questioned whether Bill Cosby’s alleged history of intoxicating and sexually assaulting young woman amounted to a “signature” crime pattern. The court on Tuesday cited studies that show as many as half of sexual assaults involve drugs or alcohol. The 83-year-old Cosby hopes to overturn his 2018 sex assault conviction because the judge let prosecutors call five other accusers to testify. The defense says their testimony prejudiced the jury against the actor and comedian. Cosby has spent more than two years at a state prison near Philadelphia. The jury convicted him of drugging and molesting a woman in 2004.

Ex-Penn St. president’s Sandusky-related conviction restored

Ex-Penn St. president’s Sandusky-related conviction restored
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal appeals court is reinstating former Penn State President Graham Spanier’s conviction for child endangerment over his handling of a report that former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a child. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday that a lower-court judge had improperly vacated Spanier’s misdemeanor conviction for the 2001 incident. Spanier’s defense attorney declined comment. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro says in a release that Spanier “turned a blind eye to child abuse by not reporting his knowledge of Jerry Sandusky’s assaults to law enforcement.” Spanier was forced out as university president shortly after Sandusky was arrested in 2011 on child molestation charges.

After White House test, Pa. senator calls COVID-19 case mild

After White House test, Pa. senator calls COVID-19 case mild
By MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Republican state lawmaker from Pennsylvania says he’s been diagnosed with COVID-19. He confirmed the positive test result five days after he went to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and went maskless at a packed public meeting to discuss efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. State Sen. Doug Mastriano first revealed the diagnosis in a Facebook live video Monday night, one day after The Associated Press reported that Mastriano was informed of the positive test while at a West Wing meeting with Trump. Mastriano says he’s quarantining. Mastriano has led rallies against mask wearing and other pandemic mitigation efforts. Another GOP state senator who attended last week’s meeting in Gettysburg also says she tested positive.

Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?

Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?
By The Associated Press undefined
As the holiday season gets underway, health experts say to avoid shopping in stores when possible. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says shopping in crowded stores is a “higher risk” activity and that people should limit in-person shopping, including at supermarkets. Instead, it recommends shopping online, visiting outdoor markets or using curbside pickup, where workers bring orders cars. If you need to enter a store, go during off hours when there are likely to be fewer people. Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet away from others and get in and out quickly.

1967 Mercedes UNIMOG Among Nearly 300 Vehicles For Sale at December 8 Commonwealth Auction 

1967 Mercedes UNIMOG Among Nearly 300 Vehicles
For Sale at December 8 Commonwealth Auction 
Special COVID-19 prevention and mitigation protocols will be in place

Harrisburg, PA – A 1967 Mercedes UNIMOG and more than 70 motorcycles will be among nearly 300 vehicles that will be available for public purchase on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania, 488 Firehouse Road, Grantville.

View a photo of the 1967 Mercedes UNIMOG.

You must pre-register for this auction. No one will be granted entry on the day of the event without being pre-registered. Strict COVID-19 prevention and mitigation protocols will be in place to ensure a safe bidding and processing environment.

The 1967 Mercedes UNIMOG up for sale is a multi-purpose, all-wheel drive, medium-sized truck that is perfect for off-road applications. The more than 70 motorcycles that will be available are from manufacturers such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson.

In addition to those vehicles the selection will include trucks and SUVs, all-wheel and front-wheel-drive sedans, utility trucks, police interceptors and other types of vehicles no longer used by state agencies from manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Jeep and others.

As part of efforts to ensure a safe auction environment, in-person access on the day of the auction will be limited to registered public buyers only, with no guests, and all registered dealers will be required to bid via simulcast. Masks and social distancing will be required for entry on preview days and the day of the auction. Masks and sanitizing products will be available for those who arrive without them. No food or beverage service will be provided at the auction site.

Pre-registration is mandatory and runs from Thursday, December 3, through Sunday, December 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Grantville auction site. During that same time frame, individuals interested in personally viewing the vehicles can do so. Registration must be completed on or before Sunday, December 6, at 4:00 p.m. There will be no registration on the day of the auction.

The auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 8. Buyers must purchase with certified funds in the form of money order, cashier’s check, certified check or bank check – made payable to “Manheim Keystone PA.” No cash will be accepted.

More information on this auction, payment conditions and a complete listing of vehicles is available on the DGS Auto Auction Information page.

Traffic Stop on Big Beaver Blvd. Leads to a Police Chase and Suspect Crash

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Big Beaver, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police reported on Tuesday morning, December 1, 2020, that  they attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a SUV  on Pa. Route 18 Big Beaver Boulevard on Monday night at 9:30 p.m. . The vehicle fled the scene with State Police units in pursuit. The suspect crashed on Rt. 422 West in New Castle, Lawrence County ending the pursuit. The operator was taken into custody without incident.    Charges are pending and will be filed  in District Justice Doug Loughner’s office.

The operators name has not been released at this time.

Gov. Wolf vetoes GOP-backed bill on limiting COVID-19 liability

(File Photo)

Wolf vetoes GOP-backed bill on limiting COVID-19 liability
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s governor is rejecting a bill that would have made it harder to sue schools, health care providers and other businesses for coronavirus-related claims. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the measure Monday. Wolf argues its liability protections were so broad the legislation would have invited “the potential for carelessness and a disregard for public safety.” The bill passed both chambers with mostly Republican support and Democratic opposition. It would have applied to cases of exposure to the coronavirus during a governor-declared disaster emergency. Supporters argued the pandemic should not impose on businesses and others expensive or even ruinous litigation.