November 18, 2020
Michael Huff, Director of Testing and Contact Tracing for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, presented an update on the commonwealth’s COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts, including Pennsylvania’s plans to distribute more than 3.8 million Abbott BinaxNOW antigen rapid tests allocated to the state by the federal government.
These tests, which have been arriving in weekly allotments since October and will continue through the end of December, are being used to test and protect vulnerable populations in Pennsylvania counties demonstrating substantial risk for community spread, prioritizing counties with current outbreaks.
November 18, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 18, that there were 6,339 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 281,852. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
There are 2,737 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 579 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. 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.
November 18, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Saturday, November 21, a drive-thru and outdoor testing clinic will be held in the parking lot at the former Dickson City K-Mart in Lackawanna County to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
November 18, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture today released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from November 9 through November 15, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social distancing, masking, and occupancy limits.
November 17, 2020
Harrisburg, PA– As Pennsylvania experiences a resurgence of COVID-19 cases with significantly higher daily case counts than in the spring and hospitalizations on the rise, the Wolf Administration has identified four new mitigation efforts, which Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced today.
“It is our collective responsibility to protect our communities and our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians from COVID-19 and to continue to work together to get through this pandemic. These targeted mitigation efforts, combined with existing ones, are paramount to saving lives and protecting our economy,” Gov. Wolf said. “The administration will continue to monitor the risks posed by COVID-19 across the commonwealth and will reinstate or institute new targeted mitigation tactics as necessary.”
November 17, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today began distribution of the sixth allotment of COVID-19 antigen test kits provided by the federal government to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified institutions in Bedford, Cambria, Franklin, Lancaster and Lehigh counties.
“Antigen test cards are a timely, quick and easy-to-use tool for communities to receive rapid COVID-19 testing,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “These test kits, provided by the federal government and being distributed to areas in need by the Wolf Administration, will further help communities struggling with the spread of COVID-19. Antigen tests look for pieces of proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus and are less sensitive than PCR tests for detecting COVID-19 infections.”
November 17, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 17, that there were 5,900 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 275,513. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
There are 2,575 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 558 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. 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.
November 16, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf reminded Pennsylvanians that as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the state’s existing mitigation efforts remain in place and are more important than ever to understand and follow.
“The fall surge in cases is something we expected and were prepared for and we’ve learned a lot since the spring, but as I’ve said many times, the virus goes where it wants, we must do all that we can to ward it off and protect ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our health care systems,” Gov. Wolf said. “The current mitigation efforts and orders in place are more important than ever. We must unite against COVID and follow these orders.”
November 16, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today shared its weekly update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data and encouraged Pennsylvanians to download the COVID Alert PA app to aid in contact tracing efforts.
“As we are experiencing a large surge in cases across the state, the public health infrastructure we continue to build is prioritizing case investigations in order to prevent outbreaks from occurring,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please answer the call from the health professional conducting a case review. If you were a close contact of someone, please answer the call. By answering the call, you are helping our health professionals mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities to further protect our neighbors and loved ones.”
November 16, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, highlighting a seven-day case increase of 26,215 cases, statewide percent positivity of 9.6%, and a concerning 59 counties with substantial transmission status.
November 16, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today discussed support the Wolf Administration is providing for long-term care facilities through the Regional Response Health Collaborative (RRHC) program, a statewide program providing clinical, operational, and educational support to long-term care facilities preparing for or facing outbreaks of COVID-19 at their facility. Secretary Miller was joined by Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nurse executive at Geisinger, who leads the Geisinger RRHC in Northeast PA and leadership from DHS and the Department of Health overseeing the RRHCs to discuss the RRHCs work supporting facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania and why the program must continue to be supported in 2021.
November 16, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 16, that there were 4,476 new cases, in addition to 5,199 new cases reported Sunday, November 15 for a two-day total of 9,675 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 269,613.
November 16, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – In the October 2020 report, Pennsylvania Department of Health nursing home surveyors conducted 396 inspections of 287 unique nursing homes, including 314 complaint investigations. Of these, 175 were COVID-19-specific compliant investigations. Three sanctions were finalized against nursing care facilities in the last month, including two provisional 1 licenses and the issuance of three civil penalties totaling $26,750.
November 14, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 14, that there were 5,551 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 259,938. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between November 7 and November 13 is 366,928 with 30,437 positive cases. There were 52,408 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 13.
November 13, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Sunday, November 15, a drive-thru and indoor testing clinic will be held at the Blair County Convention Center to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 1,760 cases in Blair County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “This testing site will be 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.”
November 13, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Saturday, November 14, a drive-thru and outdoor walk-up testing clinic will be held at the parking lot at the former Sayre K-Mart in Bradford County to help contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 1,188 cases in Bradford County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “This testing site will be 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.”
November 13, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 13, that there were 5,531 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 254,387. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between November 6 and November 12 is 332,640 with 28,290 positive cases. There were 54,399 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 12. This is a record high number of PCR test results reported to the department.
November 12, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf signed the 12th renewal of his January 2018 opioid disaster declaration to help the state fight the then-burgeoning opioid and heroin epidemic. The declaration allows the state to loosen regulations and work outside of typical procedures to expedite aid and initiatives to help those suffering from opioid use disorder and those who work to prevent and treat this medical condition.
November 12, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 12, that there were 5,488 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 248,856. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between November 5 and November 11 is 331,492 with 25,702 positive cases. There were 50,997 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 11. This is a record high number of PCR test results reported to the department.
November 12, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration, with the support of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, today urged the federal government to reauthorize Title 32 to allow Pennsylvania National Guard members to carry out missions that assist long-term care facilities affected by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.
November 11, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., November 11, that there were 4,711 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 243,368. This is the highest daily increase of cases.
The most accurate daily data is available on the websiteOpens In A New Window, with archived data also availableOpens In A New Window.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between November 4 and November 10 is 354,972 with 23,786 positive cases. There were 43,158 PCR test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., November 10.
November 10, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today recognized and thanked DHS employees who staff Pennsylvania’s hotline for reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect for their exceptional contributions and continued sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 74-person ChildLine team has been working remotely since March to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
November 10, 2020
As COVID-19 cases reach record-highs in Pennsylvania and across the country, Governor Tom Wolf today thanked and commended President-elect Joe Biden for making fighting the COVID-19 pandemic a priority, and on the introduction of his coronavirus task force that includes public health experts with ties to Pennsylvania.
“It is reassuring to see President-elect Biden take this virus seriously and move forward with a task force that is focused on science and reality,” Gov. Wolf said. “The members of his task force are some of the most respected public health experts in the country, including two Philadelphia-area physicians.
November 10, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today began distribution of the fifth allotment of COVID-19 antigen test kits provided by the federal government to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified institutions in Armstrong, Dauphin, Delaware and Indiana counties.
“Antigen test cards are a timely, quick and easy-to-use tool for communities to receive rapid COVID-19 testing,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “These test kits, provided by the federal government and being distributed to areas in need by the Wolf Administration, will further help communities struggling with the spread of COVID-19. Antigen tests look for pieces of proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus and are less sensitive than PCR tests for detecting COVID-19 infections.”
November 10, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture today released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from November 2 through November 8, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social distancing, masking, and occupancy limits.
These numbers include actions taken during routine food safety inspections and inspections prompted by consumer complaints.
