August 7, 2020
After joining U.S. Senator Bob Casey earlier this week to call for an extension to the $600 federal unemployment benefit, Governor Tom Wolf is again urging Congress to act quickly and continue this lifeline for out of work Pennsylvanians.
“COVID-19 has brought about an unprecedented situation where hardworking Pennsylvanians, some of whom have been steadily employed since they were teenagers, lost their jobs or are unable to find work,” said Gov. Wolf. “This federal unemployment program is helping thousands of Pennsylvania families to pay their bills and put food on the table. These are people who work hard and want a job, so an abrupt loss of this financial support will be devasting to them and harm our economy.”
August 7, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the state, the Pennsylvania Department of Health today encouraged people who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding to take proper steps to protect themselves so their babies can get the essential nutrients needed to develop and stay healthy.
“Breastfeeding continues to be an important health goal for babies and young children as the world navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Breastmilk contains antibodies that fight infection and boost the baby’s immune system. If a mother or baby become sick, the best thing the mother can do is continue breastfeeding to provide her baby with human antibodies. Human milk is the safest food in an emergency, as it contains the proper vitamins and minerals for healthy growth in infants.”
August 6, 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education today jointly recommended that Pre-K–12 school and recreational youth sports be postponed until at least Jan. 1, 2021, to protect children and teens from COVID-19.
The administration is providing this strong recommendation and not an order or mandate. As with deciding whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning or a blend of the two this fall, school administrators and locally elected school boards should make decisions on sports.
August 6, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf is dedicating approximately $10.5 million to Career and Technical Education Centers (CTC) to assist them in implementing public health and safety plans and help them to resume operations. CTC Equity grants provide funding to support effective continuity of education programs such as summer and other expanded programming, and industry credential assessments for students enrolled in CTCs negatively impacted by COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
August 6, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 6, that there are 807 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 116,521. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 100 cases and Philadelphia is reporting an increase of 112 cases.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between July 30 and August 5 is 148,132 with 5,496 positive cases. There were 21,590 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 5. These results represent the total number of tests administered.
August 6, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today highlighted ongoing efforts to expand testing across Pennsylvania to ensure that every Pennsylvanian who wants a test can get one.
“If we want to mitigate the spread of this very contagious virus, we must continue to understand how it’s impacting Pennsylvania. Most importantly, improving access to testing helps Pennsylvanians who want and need to test for COVID-19,” Gov. Wolf said. “Testing also provides us with critical data to understand where the disease is in our communities so that we can take the necessary proactive measures to stop the spread and continue to protect the public.”
August 6, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 1,244 licensed liquor establishments from Monday, August 3 through Tuesday, August 4 to ensure businesses are abiding by COVID-19 mitigation requirements that include social distancing, masking, and other health and safety requirements of the liquor code.
August 5, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 5, that there are 705 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 115,714. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between July 29 and August 4 is 148,934 with 5,625 positive cases. There were 18,814 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 4. These results represent the total number of tests administered.
August 4, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 4, that there are 854 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 115,009. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 132 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 131 cases.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between July 28 and August 3 is 150,145 with 5,891 positive cases. There were 22,579 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., August 3. These results represent the total number of tests administered.
August 3, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf is dedicating approximately $28 million to postsecondary institutions and adult basic education providers to assist them in implementing public health and safety plans and help them to resume operations in the fall. The funding will be used to help keep students, faculty, and staff safe and assist institutions in meeting the unique challenges of providing instruction during COVID-19.
“Students attending postsecondary institutions and participating in adult education programs are eager to return to class, and institutions have been planning for months for a safe return to instruction,” Gov. Wolf said. “This funding will help these institutions, whether they choose to continue to provide remote instruction, return to in-person instruction, or employ a hybrid approach to meet the instructional needs of their students.”
August 3, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf visited the Susquehanna Township Police headquarters today to discuss the important roles education and understanding play in the enforcement of the various COVID-19 mitigation orders in place across the state.
“We have to do everything we can to keep our communities safe and healthy, including wearing a mask and following mitigation orders so our business operate safely,” Gov. Wolf said. “We have the ability to enforce these rules, and we are going to continue to work closely with commonwealth agencies and local officials to enforce public safety orders.”
August 3, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 3, that there are 565 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 114,155. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 68 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 71 cases.
August 3, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health announced today that beginning Wednesday, August 5, various Walmart locations across the state will begin providing drive-thru testing for residents living in areas where there is a need for testing sites.
“We appreciate the hard work done by health systems, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), medical clinics and other entities that are providing testing for COVID-19 across Pennsylvania,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “When we established our testing strategy, we wanted testing to be accessible, available and adaptable and we are working to meet that challenge. Anyone who believes they are in need of a COVID-19 test and meet testing criteria can get tested today in Pennsylvania.”
August 2, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 2, that there are 654 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 113,590. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 82 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 75 cases.
August 1, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., August 1, that there are 888 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 112,936. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 66 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 167 cases.
July 31, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard comparing the seven-day period of July 24 – July 30 to the previous seven days, July 17 – July 23.
The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts. The data available on the dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent-positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19.
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak is reminding Pennsylvanians of the warning signs associated with the widespread identity theft fraud ring targeting COVID-19 unemployment compensation (UC) benefits programs across the nation. The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program is the primary target of this sophisticated scam and victims are urged to report instances of fraud to L&I and local police.
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 973 licensed liquor establishments from Wednesday, July 29 through Thursday, July 30 to ensure businesses are abiding by COVID-19 mitigation requirements that include social distancing, masking, and other health and safety requirements of the liquor code.
Liquor Control Enforcement Officers issued two notices of violation and 32 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements. As mandated by the liquor code, a notice of violation precedes the issuance of an administrative citation, which is civil in nature, and is intended to provide licensed liquor establishments notification of the nature of violation(s) discovered. The investigation remains open during this period, pending review by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE). Because the investigation is ongoing, names of establishments issued a notice of violation will not be released at this time. Each BLCE district office posts a monthly public information release that includes details on citations issued by that office.
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 31, that there are 970 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 112,048. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 244 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 130 cases. Of the new cases in Allegheny County, 30 cases have specimen collection dates from more than two weeks ago and at least 77 are known to be among long-term care residents and staff.
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – As we near the peak of hurricane season, the Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency today urged Pennsylvanians to have an emergency plan in place if a hurricane or tropical storm is forecasted to impact the state during COVID-19. Hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30 in the Eastern United States, can bring dangerous storms that include threats such as flash flooding — the leading cause of disaster-related deaths in Pennsylvania — river flooding, storm surge, damaging winds and tornadoes.
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced a nearly $23 million federally funded contract with Insight Global to recruit, hire, train, and support 1,000 paid contact tracing staff to further COVID-19 contact tracing efforts in collaboration with local and regional health entities to respond effectively to COVID-19.
“Across Pennsylvania, we have dedicated public health professionals who truly are the backbone of contact tracing, and this expansion of the contact tracing team will only support, strengthen and expand their efforts,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. “This project will bolster and diversify our public health workforce all while coordinating and mobilizing efforts in order to conquer any potential surge in COVID-19 cases. We are eager to onboard and train this new cohort of public health professionals to help identify, notify, and monitor anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.”
July 31, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today reminded Pennsylvanians that help is available and encouraged for anyone affected financially by the COVID-19 public-health crisis by taking advantage of rent and mortgage assistance programs available to help people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their housing.
“The COVID-19 emergency and economic insecurity have caused many people to lose income or employment altogether and those individuals may now be struggling to make their monthly rent or mortgage payments,” DHS Sec. Miller said. “Anyone who is worried about losing their housing should know that assistance is available and should not hesitate to reach out for help. Access to safe and secure housing is essential, especially now. We want to be sure that any Pennsylvanian who is struggling to pay rent or utilities has the help that they need and knows that they are not alone during this time.”
July 30, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf visited the Millersville location of Lancaster EMS today to thank first responders and learn about how they are adapting their critical work during the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During the pandemic, our emergency responders have become more important than ever,” Gov. Wolf said. “They have been out on the front lines of this fight, helping attend to COVID-19 patients in their most dire time of need. They have had to adapt their practices to keep themselves and their patients safe, all while continuing to serve as a lifeline to their communities and support the health care system.”
July 30, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 30, that there are 860 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 111,078. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.
Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 132 cases and Philadelphia County is reporting an increase of 127 cases.
The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between July 23 and July 29 is 163,936 with 6,822 positive cases. There were 22,996 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., July 29. These results represent the total number of tests administered.
July 29, 2020
Throughout the commonwealth, businesses and residents of Pennsylvania are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep themselves, their families, their customers and their communities safe – most notably by wearing masks in all businesses and whenever leaving home. The Wolf administration has issued a series of orders since March with the single goal of protecting Pennsylvanians from COVID-19, which has claimed more than 7,000 lives in the state.
“We have been largely successful in our fight against COVID-19 thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of every Pennsylvanian,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “But with a recent and ongoing rise in cases, we must remain vigilant, continue to listen to healthcare professionals and each do our part to prevent this dangerous virus from spreading through our communities.”
