Allegheny Health Department director Dr. Debra Bogen and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald joined U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb yesterday for a virtual town hall meeting. Lamb answered questions from the participants about the federal stimulus and unemployment. Lamb also gave updates on the COVID-19 Coronavirus on the federal and local level. He discussed how he is pleased about the federal government’s most recent bipartisan stimulus package providing cash payments to millions of Americans and extending unemployment eligibility to the self-employed and other groups.

One of the big issues locally has been the unemployment problems of filing and when will self-employed citizens be able to file. Lamb stated that Self-employed workers who have submitted a claim can expect to receive benefits within two weeks to a month.

Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks participated in the call and said that  Representative Lamb told the participants the same thing he said in an interview on Beaver County Radio last week that many Pennsylvanians who qualify for the federal government’s $1,200 cash payments can expect to receive that money after April 13, but those who filed taxes using direct deposit will receive rebates first. For those who do not have direct deposit and can’t wait for a paper check, Lamb said the IRS is expected to make available an online portal for qualifiers to sign up for direct deposit. The first batch of paper checks would go out in the first week of May, starting with lowest income Americans, but could take months to arrive.

Those relying on social security benefits can expect to receive their stimulus through the normal social security system and are not required to file a claim, Lamb said.

PennDOT Reopens Additional Roadside Rest Areas

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reopening indoor facilities at five additional rest areas statewide.

PennDOT’s rest areas were temporarily closed statewide on March 17 in response to Governor Tom Wolf’s mitigation guidance regarding COVID-19 to ensure that proper safety and sanitation protocols were in place. Twenty-eight select rest areas across Pennsylvania have since reopened.

Additional cleaning and maintenance will be performed at all reopened locations. Tourism services are not available at this time.

The following four locations will reopen yesterday (Monday, April 6):

• Interstate 70 eastbound in Washington County, 3.5 miles east of Exit 1;
• Interstate 81 northbound in Franklin County, 1 mile north of the Maryland state line;
• Interstate 81 southbound in Susquehanna County, .5 miles south of the New York state line;
• Interstate 90 westbound in Erie County, .5 miles west of the New York state line;

The following location will reopen today (Tuesday, April 7):

• U.S. 15 southbound in Tioga County, 7 miles south of the New York state line;

The below locations were previously reopened:

• Interstate 79 northbound in Allegheny County, 8 miles north of Exit 45;
• Interstate 79 northbound in Crawford County, 8 miles north of Exit 154;
• Interstate 79 southbound in Crawford County, 3 miles south of Exit 166;
• Interstate 79 northbound in Greene County, 5 miles north of Exit 1;
• Interstate 79 northbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles north of Exit 105;
• Interstate 79 southbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles south of Exit 113
• Interstate 79 northbound in Mercer County, 5 miles south of Exit 141;
• Interstate 79 southbound in Mercer County, 6 miles north of Exit 130;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Centre County, 13 miles east of Exit 133;
• Interstate 80 westbound in Centre County, .5 miles west of Exit 147;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Jefferson County, 1 mile east of Exit 86;
• Interstate 80 westbound in Jefferson County, 10 miles west of Exit 97;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Luzerne County, 8.5 miles east of Exit 262;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Monroe County, 1 mile east of I-80/I-380;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles east of Exit 215;
• Interstate 80 westbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles west of Exit 224;
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Venango County, .5 miles east of Exit 29;
• Interstate 80 westbound in Venango County, 4 miles west of Exit 35;
• Interstate 81 northbound in Cumberland County, .5 miles north of Exit 37;
• Interstate 81 southbound in Cumberland County, 5.5 miles south of Exit 44;
• Interstate 81 northbound in Lackawanna County, .5 miles north of Exit 202;
• Interstate 81 northbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles north of Exit 155;
• Interstate 81 southbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles south of Exit 159;
• Interstate 81 southbound in Susquehanna County, 4 miles south of Exit 211;
• Interstate 83 northbound in York County, 2.5 miles north of the Maryland state line;
• Interstate 84 eastbound in Pike County, 6 miles east of Exit 20;
• Interstate 84 westbound in Pike County, 1 mile west of Exit 26; and
• Interstate 90 eastbound in Erie County, 3 miles east of the Ohio state line.

The department will continue to evaluate and will determine whether additional locations can be reopened.

More COVID-19 information is available at www.health.pa.gov. For more information, visit www.dmv.pa.gov or www.PennDOT.gov.

Wisconsin moves forward with election despite virus concerns
By SCOTT BAUER and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Voters in Wisconsin face a choice Tuesday of participating in a presidential primary election or heeding warnings from public health officials to stay away from large crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. Hours after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order Monday postponing the election for two months, the Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with Republicans who said he didn’t have the authority to reschedule the race on his own. The decision leaves Wisconsin as the only state with an election scheduled in April that is proceeding as planned.

I-376 Beaver Valley Expressway Bridge Inspection begins Tuesday in Center Township

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing work to inspect the I-376 (Beaver Valley Expressway) bridges over Raccoon Creek in Center Township, Beaver County, will begin Tuesday, April 7 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions will occur on the I-376 bridges over Raccoon Creek located between the Aliquippa (Exit 45) and Center (Exit 42) interchanges from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. according to the following schedule:

• Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7-8 – Westbound
• Thursday and Friday, April 9-10 – Eastbound

Crews from CDM Smith will conduct the inspection work.

Please use caution if traveling in this area. Remember, work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

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 950 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.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care
By DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. Johnson’s office says Johnson is conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment. Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputize for him. “Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” his office said in a statement.

Department of Health to Provide More Support for Long-Term Care Facilities’ COVID-19 Response

Harrisburg, PA- The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced they have signed a contract with ECRI, an independent, nonprofit health services research organization based in suburban Philadelphia, to help with the COVID-19 response across the state, particularly in long-term care facilities, as the pandemic continues.

“It’s imperative that the state do all that we can to protect all Pennsylvanians, but especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and so the Department of Health made the right decision to enlist experts in the field of infection control to help protect those in the state’s long-term care facilities,” Governor Tom Wolf said.

With decades of experience in assisting during outbreaks, ECRI will provide individualized infection control and prevention assistance to long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania. Staffers will be available over the phone for 12 hours a day on weekdays and will coordinate with the Department Operations Center, currently providing support to those working in coronavirus response. ECRI will also help the department evaluate PPE and research different ways to maximize available resources.

“COVID-19 is a very serious disease and we are seeing a continuous rise in the number of cases and deaths each day,” Secretary of Health Dr. Levine said. “One of our most vulnerable populations in Pennsylvania is those in nursing home facilities. Partnering with ECRI will help us continue to provide the necessary resources to those on the frontline of the COVID-19 response in facilities across the state.”

As of April 6, there are 12,980 positive cases of COVID-19 in 65 counties and there are 162 deaths. There are 70,874 patients who have tested negative to date. County-specific information and a statewide map are 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 need to go out and will be around other people, 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.

Federal Reserve to smooth lending to small businesses
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve will provide support to the government’s new small business lending program in its latest attempt to smooth the flow of credit in the virus-stricken U.S. economy. The Fed said Monday that it will allow banks to borrow from the Fed by using loans from the government’s small business facility as collateral. That could encourage banks to lend more to small companies. The Fed’s two-sentence announcement said that further details will be provided this week.

Appeal rejected in 1998 police chase crash that killed boy
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — An appeals court has rejected a bid for a new trial by a man convicted of third-degree murder in the death of a 7-year-old boy on a bicycle during a western Pennsylvania police chase more than two decades ago. PennLive.com reports that now-44-year-old Jamal Tait argued unsuccessfully that the Superior Court panel should order a new trial because a key prosecution witness now says he lied when he said Tait was driving recklessly and police had broken off the chase. Authorities said Tait, then 22, led police on a high-speed chase in Allegheny County in June 1998 and hit Raymond Michelotti.