Department of Health Launches COVID-19 Phased Reopening County Dashboard 

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today launched an online dashboard to show county progress as Pennsylvania moves through the COVID-19 phased reopening plan. The dashboard breaks down four main categories that are used to determine if a county can move into the next phase of reopening.

“As the dashboard shows, there are several metrics used to determine if it is safe for a county to reopen to the next phase,” Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We too, want to get back to a normal life. However, we need the help of all Pennsylvanians to make that happen. By taking simple steps, like continuing to wear a mask, staying home when sick, and implementing social distancing, we can help eliminate the spread of COVID-19 and help Pennsylvania fully reopen in a safe and efficient manner.”

The dashboard shows metrics used to help identify if a county can reopen to the next phase, including:

• Stable, decreasing, or low confirmed case counts, past two weeks compared to previous two weeks;
• Contacts of case are being monitored;
• PCR positivity rate <10% in past 14 days; and,
• Hospital bed use is 90% or lower per district population.

Throughout the phased reopening, the administration’s criteria for moving to the green phase has been that after a county transitions to the yellow phase, the Department of Health will closely monitor for increased risk, such as significant outbreaks. If overall risk remains mitigated for fourteen days, the county will transition to the green phase. This dashboard is an effort to quantify mitigation for counties.

The state also continues to use risk-based metrics from Carnegie Mellon University.

Effective at 12:01 a.m. on June 5, 16 more counties moved into the green phase. Counties include Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland. They join 18 other counties that moved to green on May 29.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• Repeating shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.

As of 12:00 a.m., June 5, there were 74,385 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide in 67 counties and 5,886 confirmed deaths. Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 and older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

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 for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

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

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts

The Beaver County Election Bureau finished counting all of the mail in ballots last week and the final results are in:

Total Ballots Cast – 37,753 19,234 went to the polls to vote in person. 18,519 registered voters voted by mail or absentee balloting. Out of the 22,191 Democratic votes cast 8,595 were in person and 13,596 votes were vote by mail. Of The total of 15,528 Republican votes 10,618 Showed up to vote in person and  4,910 voted by mail in ballot. Total Voter Turnout was 38.81%. DEMOCRATIC 41.42% Voter Turnout – REPUBLICAN 36.16% Voter Turnout – NONPARTISAN 4.43%

You can see all of the election results by going to http://www.beavercountypa.gov/Depts/Elections/Pages/ElectionResults.aspx

(File Photo)

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 275 today, which allows previous convictions of strangulation to be considered in sentencings for subsequent cases and in child custody proceedings. A 2016 law made strangulation a criminal offense and this legislation integrates it with other offenses under state law.

“Domestic violence is a horrific crime and we must do everything we can to hold abusers accountable,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “This new law is an appropriate step to protect victims and their children as they address the trauma caused by these experiences.”

The law takes effect August 4, 2020.

Other bills signed by the governor today include the following:

House Bill 102, which amends Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for eligibility for license.

House Bill 1036, which amends Title 8 (Boroughs and Incorporated Towns) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in creation and alteration, further providing for definitions and for judicial adjustment; in elections of officers, further providing for decrease in number of members of council; and, in manufacture and supply of electricity, further providing for specific powers.

House Bill 1048, which amends the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in licenses and regulations for liquor, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for issuance, transfer or extension of hotel, restaurant and club liquor licenses, for sale of malt or brewed beverages by liquor licensees, for wine expanded permits, for malt and brewed beverages manufacturers’, distributors’ and importing distributors’ licenses, for malt and brewed beverages retail licenses, for retail dispensers’ restrictions on purchases and sales and for renewal of licenses and temporary provisions for licensees in armed service.

House Bill 1210, which amends the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.

House Bill 1907, designating the bridge carrying State Route 1025 over U.S. Route 11/15 in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, as the Senator Hal Mowery Memorial Bridge.

Senate Bill 863, which amends Title 48 (Lodging and Housing) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hotels, further providing for definitions, for hotelkeepers, for notice to boarders to lock rooms, for lien, warrant, sale and right of redemption, for liability for property loss or damage, for special arrangements for safe deposit of valuables, for duty of guest, for other liability, for exemption from levy or sale, for baggage, for baggage sale requirements, for sale proceeds, providing for abandoned property and further providing for tourist camp heater safety.

Senate Bill 1030, which amends the act of January 24, 1966 (1965 P.L.1535, No.537), known as the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, further providing for official plans. Read the governor’s signing statement for SB 1030 here.

Tropical Storm Cristobal draws nearer to US Gulf Coast
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tropical Storm Cristobal is continuing its advance toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, having spawned a tornado in Florida. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Cristobal’s maximum sustained winds are at 50 mph (85 kph) as of early Sunday and it’s forecast to make landfall by Sunday night. The storm already made its presence felt with a tornado that touched down near downtown Orlando, just missing a group of protesters. There appeared to be no injuries, but tree limbs were knocked down, and there were reports of power outages.

Erie zoo employee bitten on arm by orangutan, dispatches say
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say an employee at a northwestern Pennsylvania zoo was bitten on the arm by an orangutan over the weekend. Erie County emergency dispatchers said the 29-year-old zookeeper sustained puncture and bit wounds to his forearm during Saturday afternoon’s attack at the Erie Zoo. Dispatchers said he was taken to Saint Vincent Hospital for treatment of injuries described as moderate and non-life-threatening. No further information was immediately available.

PA senator criticized for treatment of women loses primary
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state senator who lost the support of Democratic officials after he was criticized for his treatment of women in his office and on his campaign has lost his suburban Philadelphia primary contest. The Associated Press projected Saturday that Amanda Cappelletti had prevailed in 17th district in Montgomery County. Leach, a longtime standard-bearer for liberal causes in the state Legislature, had rebuffed calls from Democrats to resign going back to 2017. Leach denied any predatory actions and said he never deliberately made anyone uncomfortable, though he acknowledged that he has used poor judgment in his choice of humor.