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 Amends Universal Face Coverings Order To Align With CDC Guidance
Harrisburg, PA – Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam today amended the existing Universal Face Coverings order, issued on November 17, 2020, to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Recommendations for Fully...
Gov. Wolf: Teacher And School Staff Vaccinations Are Ahead Of Schedule
Doylestown, PA - Approximately two weeks after Governor Tom Wolf and the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced the voluntary single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be administered to Pre-K to 12 educators and school staff, the special initiative is ahead...
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Vaccination Update For March 20: Pace Accelerating, More Than 4 Million Vaccinations Administered, More Than 1.4 Million People Fully Vaccinated
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., March 20, that there were 4,213 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 984,515. There are 1,548 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of...
Department Of Education To Study The Pandemic’s Impact On Learning And Teaching
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) will use a nearly $1 million federal grant to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students across Pennsylvania and recommend educational strategies to help students and schools move...
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Vaccination Update For March 19: Pace Accelerating, More Than 4 Million Vaccinations Administered, More Than 1.4 Million People Fully Vaccinated
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., March 19, that there were 3,455 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 980,302. There are 1,486 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19....
Department Of Health Provides Update On Getting More COVID-19 Vaccine To People, Unprecedented Transparency On Vaccine Resources
Harrisburg, PA - Department of Health (DOH) Acting Secretary Alison Beam and Executive Deputy Secretary Keara Klinepeter yesterday outlined details on temporary plans that will get more COVID-19 vaccine to Pennsylvanians and unprecedented efforts to provide...
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Vaccination Update for March 19: Pace Accelerating, More Than 4 Million Vaccinations Administered, More Than 1.4 Million People Fully Vaccinated
Governor Tom Wolf and Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam today detailed the state’s vaccination rollout progress as the process accelerates and Pennsylvania outperforms its peer states. “The pace of vaccinations in Pennsylvania is accelerating each day,” Gov. Wolf...
PENNSYLVANIA NASP PROGRAM STAYS ON TARGET DURING PANDEMIC
HARRISBURG, PA - In a year that has been anything but typical for students across the state, Pennsylvania’s National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) has helped to keep student archers safely shooting their bows throughout the 2020-21 school year. The...
Gov. Wolf: Teacher and School Staff Vaccinations are Ahead of Schedule
Approximately two weeks after Governor Tom Wolf and the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced the voluntary single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be administered to Pre-K to 12 educators and school staff, the special initiative is ahead of schedule and...
Gov. Wolf Highlights COVID-19 PA Hazard Pay Grant Program at Brookings Panel Discussion on Essential Workers
Gov. Tom Wolf today highlighted the importance of supporting front line workers who put their health and lives on the line to provide essential services throughout the pandemic during an online event “Essential Workers: One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic” hosted by...
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard Update for March 5-11: Case Increases at 12,483; Percent Positivity at 5.7% and 21 Counties with Substantial Transmission
Governor Tom Wolf and Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam 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 12,483 a...
Department Of Health Updates Order To Connect Everyone Currently Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine To Appointments
Harrisburg, PA - Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam today signed an updated order making March 31 the date by which all vaccine providers should have Phase 1A-eligible Pennsylvanians’ vaccine appointments scheduled. The amended orderalso requires...
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.