(File Photo)

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that the Office of State Fire Commissioner will be working to enact recent legislation to provide $50 million in direct financial relief to fire and emergency medical service (EMS) companies negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

“Since we began taking action to curtail the spread of COVID-19, our state’s fire and EMS companies have seen record-breaking call volume and fewer opportunities to raise funds,” Gov. Wolf said. “These grants will go a long way to support their heroic efforts amid a very difficult public health crisis that has created a financial burden for many of these companies.”

“It has become a struggle just to keep the lights on for far too many of the companies that protect our communities,” State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego said. “I am pleased that our office can help get these funds out to the companies most in need.”

Of the $50 million in funding set aside for this new program, $44 million will be made available to fire and rescue companies and the remaining $6 million will go to EMS companies. Though the legislation took immediate effect, the Office of State Fire Commissioner must now establish the protocols for application, review and disbursement of grant funds.

In the coming weeks, detailed information about the program and instructions on how to apply will be available online at the Office of the State Fire Commissioner’s website. Companies are advised to check back regularly for updated information

DCNR Moves to Open Remaining State Park, Forest Facilities

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the phased reopening of state parks and forest facilities continues Friday, June 5, in southeast and northeast Pennsylvania in line with Governor Tom Wolf’s direction to ensure Pennsylvanians have opportunities to safely enjoy outdoor recreation and help maintain positive physical and mental health.

Facilities in 19 state parks will be reopening as the following counties move from the red to yellow phases of the state’s phased reopening plan: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia.

“With these latest reopenings, a long- awaited normalcy is beginning to return to all of our 121 state parks and our state forests throughout Pennsylvania, and that’s welcomed news to all,” said Dunn. “Park visitors are reminded, effective Saturday, June 6, all 58 state park beaches will be open to swimming.”

The secretary noted state park swimming pools will remain closed through June 12.  Some pools in yellow phase and green phase counties will reopen on June 13.

Capacity at beaches and pools will be limited to 50 percent of the normal facility capacity, the secretary noted. Mitigation measures will be in place, including restricting visitor parking, controlling facility access, social distancing and the wearing of face masks when not in the water. All Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance remains in effect.

Dunn reminded visitors lifeguards are on duty at beaches at two state parks: Fuller Lake, at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Cumberland County, and Presque Isle State Park, Erie County.

Because of necessary maintenance work, swimming pools at Ryerson Station State Park, Greene County, and Codorus State Park, York County will not be opening for the 2020 season.

At the 19 state parks in the latest counties moving from red to yellow phase, Dunn said family campground sites and park offices are among facilities reopening. State forest district offices, including William Penn, will be open June 5.

Facilities such as cabins, cottages, lodges, and yurts will be opening statewide June 12. In all DCNR facilities, additional cleaning protocols are in place to help protect park and forest visitors.

DCNR has followed Governor Wolf’s plan and process for reopening Pennsylvania using red, yellow and green colors to outline restrictions in place for that county. During this period, the public has been able to access DCNR trails, lakes, rivers, streams, forests, roads, and parking areas statewide for recreation.

All nine marinas in state parks are open. Shoreline mooring sites at all state parks also are open. In addition, three public golf courses in Caledonia and Evansburg state parks and Michaux State Forest are authorized to be open to the public. These golf courses are operated by private concessions.

Boat concessions in yellow phase counties are permitted to be open, but in some cases are not. State parks should be called directly for more information about marinas and boat concessions.

All picnic pavilion reservations, playgrounds, nature play areas, interpretive centers, amphitheaters, and group camping facilities statewide will remain closed in yellow areas.

All programs, events, and large gatherings at state parks and forests that were cancelled through June 15 will remain in place, and organizers were given the option to reschedule later in the year.

In counties designated yellow, any events with more than 25 people will be cancelled. If the event is under 25 people and outdoors it will be allowed to occur, however any indoor events will be cancelled.

Picnic tables in state parks are dispersed to allow room to spread out and avoid crowds. Campsites and cabins should only be used by members living in the same household as part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

People are advised not to travel long distances for outdoor recreation, and instead should look for opportunities close to home. Pennsylvania has 6,000 local parks and more than 12,000 miles of trails available (check first to make sure they are open, as some local parks are closed).

Find open state park and forest facilities by county using the DCNR Reopening Map.

Visitors can help keep state parks and forest lands safe by following these practices:

• Avoid crowded parking lots and trailheads
• Bring a bag and either carry out your trash or dispose of it properly
• Clean up after pets
• Avoid activities that put you at greater risk of injury, so you don’t require a trip to the emergency room

To help avoid exposure to COVID-19 and protect others, and still enjoy the outdoors:

• Don’t hike or recreate in groups – go with those under the same roof, and adhere to social distancing (stay 6 feet apart)
• Wear a mask
• Take hand sanitizer with you and use it regularly
• Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow
• If you are sick, stay home

Pennsylvania has 121 state parks, and 20 forest districts.

Information about state parks and forests is available on the DCNR website. Updates also are being provided on DCNR’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 537 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 73,942

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 4, that there are 537 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 73,942. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,817 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 75 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

Locally in Beaver County we are at 599 cases an increase of 5 cases. 4071 people have tested negative and we remain at 74.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “As counties move into the yellow and green phases, we must take personal responsibility to protect others. Wearing a mask, continuing to maintain social distancing, and washing your hands frequently are all steps we can take to help protect others, including our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our essential workers and our healthcare system.”

There are 618 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 416,942 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Nearly 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 2% are ages 13-18;
• 6% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 37% are ages 25-49;
• 25% are ages 50-64; and
• 28% are ages 65 or older.

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.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,848 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,740 cases among employees, for a total of 18,588 at 613 distinct facilities in 45 counties. Out of our total deaths, 3,895 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 5,601 of our total cases are in health care workers.

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

Non-life-sustaining businesses in the red phase are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently, 57 counties are in the yellow or green phase of reopening. The first 18 counties moved to green on May 29. All remaining red counties are expected to move to yellow by June 5.