Harrisburg, PA – Recognizing that their states have one integrated regional economy, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Delaware Governor John Carney and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo today announced the creation of a multi-state council to restore the economy and get people back to work. This announcement builds on the states’ ongoing regional approach to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coordinating group – comprised of one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective Chief of Staff from each state – will work together to develop a fully integrated regional framework to gradually lift the states’ stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus.

The council will create this framework using every tool available to accomplish the goal of easing social isolation without triggering renewed spread – including testing, contact tracing, treatment and social distancing – and will rely on the best available scientific, statistical, social and economic information to manage and evaluate those tools.

Governor Tom Wolf said, “Our highest priority remains protecting the health and safety of Pennsylvanians. While my administration continues to take critical steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, I also recognize that we must look ahead and take a measured, careful approach to prepare for the future while ensuring that we don’t undo all of our efforts. Pennsylvania will work collaboratively with our partners both in state and in surrounding states to develop a comprehensive strategy that first focuses on health but also addresses the need to gradually restore our economy.”

Governor Cuomo Said, “We have been collaborating closely with our neighboring states to combat this pandemic through a uniform approach to social distancing and density reduction and it has been working well. Now it is time to start opening the valve slowly and carefully while watching the infection rate meter so we don’t trigger a second wave of new infections. This is not a light switch that we can just flick on and everything goes back to normal – we have to come up with a smart, consistent strategy to restart the systems we shut down and get people back to work, and to the extent possible we want to do that through a regional approach because we are a regional economy. New York is partnering with these four states to create a multi-state council that will come up with a framework based on science and data to gradually ease the stay at home restrictions and get our economy back up and running.”

Governor Phil Murphy said, “No one has given more thought or is more eager to restart our economy than I am, but if we don’t get the sequencing right, we put more lives at risk,” New Jersey. Then, and only then, do we position ourselves to fully ignite our economy and get the residents of our state back to work while minimizing the danger of this disease. A coordinated, regional approach, informed by a multi-state council of experts, will help us avoid a major setback with potentially disastrous consequences. I look forward to the day when the facts on the ground allow us to ease our restrictions and move our regional economy forward.”

Governor Ned Lamont said, “One thing that’s undeniable is that this virus does not stop at the border of any county, state, or country, but the impact is the same when it comes to our respective economies and healthcare systems. Working as a regional coalition to make the right decisions will lead to the best public health results for all of our residents. We must solve these problems together.”

Governor John Carney said, “We still have a situation in Delaware that is getting worse. Infections of COVID-19 and hospitalizations are rising. Delawareans should stay home. Don’t go out in public unnecessarily. Don’t visit Delaware unless you need to see a doctor, or care for a family member. You’ll only increase everyone’s risk. At the same time, we need to look forward. We need a consistent approach for moving our states out of this crisis, when that day comes. I’m grateful for the partnership of my fellow Governors in the region. They are all working around-the-clock to prevent surges in COVID-19 cases, protect hospital capacity for the most critically-ill patients, and save lives. We’ll get through this by working together.”

Governor Gina Raimondo said, “States are taking the lead as we fight to slow the spread of coronavirus and save lives. I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken, and I’m constantly thinking about what it will take to safely reopen our economy. But we know that this virus does not recognize borders, and it’s clear we need a strong, coordinated regional approach to avoid a second wave of this disease. I’m grateful to my fellow governors for their leadership during this crisis and I’m confident that this new partnership will support our efforts to get Rhode Islanders — and all Americans — back to work safely.”

Trump says he’ll decide on easing guidelines, not governors
By ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is asserting that he is the ultimate decision-maker for determining how and when to relax the social distancing guidelines put in place because of the coronavirus. But it is unclear what authority he has to overrule the states. Trump’s claim that he could force governors to reopen their states follows weeks he spent arguing that he didn’t believe he should pressure states to impose stay-at-home restrictions. Trump has been bristling at criticism that his plan to reopen will cost lives and extend the outbreak. He’s eager to restart an economy that has plummeted during the virus outbreak.

Department of Corrections Announces First COVID-19-Related Inmate Death

Harrisburg, PA – On April 8, an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix, Montgomery County, died at the Einstein Medical Center. On April 11, the Montgomery County coroner notified prison officials that the cause of death was determined to be acute respiratory distress from pneumonia due to COVID-19 with contributing factors of hypertensive cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis.

The inmate was a 67-year-old African American who was serving a life sentence for a first-degree murder conviction out of Philadelphia County.

The inmate’s next-of-kin was contacted.

This is the first COVID-19-related death in a state correctional facility. Should additional COVID-19-related inmate deaths occur, the DOC will include that information on its website and will not issue individual news releases.

Find the latest information on the DOC’s COVID-19 efforts here. 

Find the latest information on the coronavirus here.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 1,366 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 24,199

Harrisburg, PA-The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 13, that there are 1,366 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 24,199. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania now have cases of COVID-19. The department also reported 17 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 524. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here. All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

Locally in Beaver County we are up 8 cases to 153  and still at 13 deaths as of midnight Monday morning.

“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families, our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

There are 105,593 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Less than 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• 6% are aged 19-24;
• Nearly 41% are aged 25-49;
• Nearly 29% are aged 50-64; and
• Nearly 21% are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, April 10:

• Provided an update from Pennsylvania State Police on business closure enforcement actions.

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.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) United States Representative Conor Lamb joined Frank Sparks in hour number two of Teleforum on 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and 99.3 FM. The pair talked about a variety of subjects in the interview. Representative Lamb told Frank Sparks his thought of two local police chiefs who passed away over the weekend and his thankfulness for their dedication to our communities. Lamb then spoke of the Economic Relief package that was passed nearly three weeks ago and why it is such a problem getting the new unemployment portion of the system implemented in Pennsylvania. Lamb said the problems that Pennsylvanians are experiencing is way to slow and unacceptable and needs to be fix as soon as possible. He said Pennsylvania is not he only state that is having issues, but you can tell that leadership makes a big difference and you can tell the states that getting the people their money is a priority. Congressman Lamb feels that this should be our highest priority whether it’s unemployment or the small business loan. The pair then talked about the Economic Relief Package and that people should start receiving their stimulus check from the Federal Government this week. It will then be released in stages to Americans. Sparks then asked Rep. Lamb about the SBA and the confusion of what is happening that when a business owner goes to their bank to apply for the SBA loan the banks are confused and don’t really know how to help the business owners. Lamb said it is a matter of poor execution. This isn’t a matter that can be solved by standing at a press conference for 5 minutes and talking about it on Television. Lamb said you need a concerted effort by the Government starting with the SBA in Washington and working its way out into the country with clear simple rules that are simple to administer, and they just didn’t do that they just skipped that step. Lamb said that we created this in law three weeks ago and time was wasted getting these banks ready to make these loans and now banks are asking basic questions about these loans and not getting clear answers. He said it’s just poor execution and now they want another $250 billion but they’re not really willing to talk about why it didn’t go well in round one. Lamb feels they are not prioritizing the details.

The talk then shifted to Senator Casey’s legislation to give the front-line workers a $25,000 bonus for being on the front line. Lamb said he agrees with it and feels that this is like going to war and this is like hazard pay. The pair then went on to talk about the next round of the Economic relief and then the United States Postal Service and his thoughts about President Trump saying he would veto a bill that has funding to bail out the Postal Service. Lamb feels that the Postal Service is a vital part of our society and they hire a big percentage of Veterans’.

You can listen to the entire interview below by pressing the play button:

Allegheny County seeks all-mail election in Pennsylvania
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The top official in Pennsylvania’s second-most populous county is pushing for the authority from the state to conduct the June 2 primary election entirely by mail. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Monday said holding an in-person election in the midst of the coronavirus crisis would be a “disaster.” He wants Gov. Tom Wolf to expand the state’s emergency declaration to allow the move. Officials in a pair of suburban Philadelphia counties, Montgomery and Chester, are also backing the idea of an all-mail election. And Philadelphia is making preparations for it in case an all-mail election is ordered.

Pennsylvania reports 13 new deaths among COVID-19 patients
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania officials say there were 13 additional deaths among COVID-19 patients over the prior day, raising the state’s running running total to more than 500. The Health Department announced Sunday there were also nearly 1,200 new cases, for a statewide total of nearly 23,000 infections over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. There were 29 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Pennsylvania on Thursday and 78 on Friday. But officials have cautioned that inconsistent reporting on weekends can result in artificially low numbers. The Pennsylvania House plans to return Tuesday to voting session, and the chamber may consider legislation that would allow more businesses to open during the pandemic.

Game off: Youth baseball leagues scrambling amid pandemic
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on youth sports leagues across the United States. It is a particular blow to baseball and softball, which are two of the top spring sports. Many organizers are taking a “wait and see” approach on whether a 2020 season is possible. But some summer tournaments have already been canceled. There is also concern that some players may not return in 2021 if they don’t play this season.

Ambridge Police Chief Mark Romutis died Sunday evening in Allegheny General from complications related to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

Chief Romutis tested positive for COVID-19 on March 20, 2020 and was recovering at home. It’s being reported that Chief Romutis was recovering well until late last week when he took a turn for the worse.

Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio as News Correspondent Sandy Giordano is working on an update and community reaction to this breaking story.