COVID-19 UPDATE: Resources, information, and helpful tips to protect you and your family!
Telephone Town Hall on the COVID-19 VACCINE
LIVE daily briefings from the PA Department of Health:
pacast.com/live/doh or www.governor.pa.gov/live/ or watch on Facebook
Welcome to my resource page on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19. Understandably, there are many concerns regarding the health and safety of the public as we continue to assess the situation. I hope these resources and the information provided will answer your questions.
I will continue to monitor the situation here in Pennsylvania and remain in contact with health and emergency officials. As always, we will provide additional information as it becomes available. To stay up-to-date with the latest developments here, please sign up for email alerts below.
COVID-19 Virtual Vaccine Town Hall
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Latest News
Department Of Health Adds Testing Site In Lebanon County To Help Contain Local Spread Of COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA - Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Saturday, October 24, an outdoor testing clinic will be held in the lower parking lot at Lebanon County Fire Training Center in Lebanon County to contain the recent rapid increase in...
Wolf Administration Discusses Work Of COVID-19 Regional Response Health Collaboratives In Southwest PA To Strengthen Support For Long-Term Care Facilities
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...
Department Of Health Provides Update On COVID-19, 1,425 Positives Bring Statewide Total To 186,297
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., October 21, that there were 1,425 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 186,297. Allegheny County is reporting an increase of 114 cases and...
Department Of Agriculture Releases COVID-19 Restaurant Enforcement Actions, October 12 – October 18
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture today released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from October 12 through October 18, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social...
Wolf Administration Discusses Work Of COVID-19 Regional Response Health Collaboratives To Strengthen Support For Long-Term Care Facilities Facing
Harrisburg, PA - Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today discussed support the Wolf Administration is providing for long-term care facilities through the Regional Response Health...
Department Of Health Announces Week-Two Rapid Antigen Test Card Distributions Across The Commonwealth
Harrisburg, PA - The Wolf Administration today began distribution of the second allotment of COVID-19 antigen test kits provided by the federal government to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified institutions in Berks, Huntingdon, Union and...
Gov. Wolf, Sec. of Health Present Latest Data, Ask Pennsylvanians to Unite Against COVID
As a fall resurgence of COVID-19 becomes more evident in Pennsylvania and across the country, Governor Tom Wolf and Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine presented an update on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard and case data, and asked Pennsylvanians...
Department Of Health Provides Update On COVID-19, 1,557 Positives Bring Statewide Total To 184,872
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., October 19, that there were 1,557additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 184,872. Allegheny is reporting an increase of 106 cases, Delaware is...
Wolf Administration Participates in National Project to Review Safe Inmate Population Reduction During COVID-19
The Wolf Administration recently participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine project, which resulted in the report: Decarcerating Correctional Facilities During COVID-19. Released today, the report, which was funded by Arnold...
Departments Of Agriculture, Health Confirm Pennsylvania’s First COVID-19 Positive Cat
Harrisburg, PA – State Veterinarian Dr. Kevin Brightbill announced today that Pennsylvania has confirmed its first COVID-19 positive cat. The 16-year old Cumberland County cat, who lived in a household with multiple individuals who had previously been diagnosed...
Department Of Health Shares Weekly Update On COVID-19 Investigations, Contact Tracing, Monitoring Efforts
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. “Over the past 14...
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard Update for Oct. 9 – Oct. 15
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. Updates are released each Monday. The update includes the...
How to Stay Informed
Below is an extensive list of information, statistics, and resources to ensure you stay up-to-date with any changes happening due to COVID-19.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
- The PA DoH Daily COVID-19 report. Updated regularly throughout the day.
- Follow the PA Health Department on Twitter.
- Follow them on Facebook.
A complete list of information and resources available to you by county:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Track confirmed cases in the US. (This site is updated weekdays at noon and shows numbers that were current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.)
- CDC provided information regarding “What you should know about COVID-19“
- Follow the CDC on Twitter.
- Follow the CDC on Facebook.
- Learn how best to prevent “community transition” with specific details on what to do before, during, and after outbreaks.
World Health Organization
- Learn what’s happening Worldwide with the WHO’s Daily report. The most recent report is located at the top of the page. It includes confirmed case and death tallies.
- Additional COVID-19 information is provided on their website.
- Stay informed on Twitter.
- Follow their Facebook page.
Stay up-to-date!
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What You Need to Know About COVID-19
The Coronavirus was first discovered during an outbreak in Wuhan, China. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms often do not appear in a person until 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Prepare Yourself and Your Family
The best way to avoid contracting COVID-19 is by practicing vital social distancing procedures. It is recommended to work remotely and severely limit contact with others.
If you think you have come into contact with someone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or are exhibiting them yourself, please follow the instructions on the graphic below:
What is coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Symptoms of the COVID-19 can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.
How can the Coronavirus spread?
Human coronaviruses spread just like the flu or a cold:
- Through the air by coughing or sneezing;
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it;
- Occasionally, fecal contamination.
How can I help protect myself?
Prevention:
- Cover coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, remotes, and other frequently touched items.
- Contain: if you are sick, stay home until you are feeling better.
In addition, it is recommended that Pennsylvanians take time to prepare now. View the PA Emergency Preparedness Guide.
Resources
- Coronavirus fact sheet – DOH (PDF)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) fact sheet – CDC (PDF)
- What to do if you are sick with COVID-19 (PDF)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Isolation vs. Quarantine Infographic – NJDOH (PDF)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQ
- Preventing COVID-19 From Spreading to Others in Communities
- Stigma Related to COVID-19
- Share Facts About COVID-19
- Interim Guidance: Get Your Household Ready for COVID-19
- Interim Guidance: Get Your Mass Gatherings or Large Community Events Ready for COVID-19
- Pandemic Information
- Insurance Coverage and COVID-19 FAQ
Protect Yourself
Medical Costs
As of March 9, the Governor announced that all major health insurers in Pennsylvania have agreed to cover “medically appropriate” COVID-19 testing and treatment.
The 10 major insurers are:
- Aetna
- Capital Blue Cross
- Cigna
- Geisinger
- Highmark
- Independence BlueCross
- Oscar
- Pennsylvania Health & Wellness
- UnitedHealthcare
- UPMC Health Plan
For anyone with questions about their insurance policy, please contact your insurer or the Pennsylvania State Insurance Department with questions. They can also be reached at (877) 881-6388.
Remote Medical Attention and Care
Health officials are urging people who have symptoms to stay home and contact their doctor remotely rather than opting for an in-person visit. Nearly all major health systems offer some form of virtual visits and assistance. Some insurers do, too. People interested in a specific virtual visit should check to see what illnesses it can be used for. Be sure to reach out to your insurance provider to verify this service is covered with your plan.
Here’s an brief overview of virtual visit services offered to local residents:
Capital BlueCross – is offering free medical Virtual Care visits for members who currently have the Virtual Care benefit. The waiving of fees will be effective March 13 through April 15, 2020.
Highmark – is providing many of their members with a virtual clinic visit service. Any fees related to COVID-19 will be waived.
UPMC Pinnacle – is welcoming Online Video Visits for those experience flu like symptoms or just in need of a follow-up appointment. Video visits are available through the MyPinnacleHealth portal for $49.
WellSpan Health – WellSpan Online Urgent Care offers a video visits with Teladoc physicians for patients 3 months and older for their standard fee of $49.
CALLING ALL PSYCHOLOGIST! Things may be picking up for you at this time, so we want to make sure you are covered too. Here are some COVID-19 resources on how to best protect yourself and serve your patients from the Pennsylvania Psychologist Association.
Feeding Kids During COVID-19: Emergency Grants and Updated Resources
No Kid Hungry is offering real-time emergency grant funding to schools and community organizations that are making sure kids have access to the meals they need as schools close due to coronavirus. The need is devastating; we received thousands of requests for grants in the first few days, and heard heart-breaking stories. To date, they have awarded more than $3.9 million in grants to 147 organizations across 40 states and DC.
No Kid Hungry is providing millions of dollars in additional grants in the coming weeks for schools and local non-profits in our communities that could benefit from this program to continue providing critical nutrition assistance. For additional information on the program and application process, please CLICK HERE.