Coronavirus updates: Here’s what to know in Centre County on May 28

We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date coronavirus news as Centre County prepares to enter the green phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to reopen Pennsylvania. Check back for updates.

Centre County hair salons can reopen in the ‘green phase.’ But expect to wait for an appointment

Unkempt hair styles are so spring 2020.

Centre County beauty salons and barber shops that were closed for about two months to mitigate the potential spread of the new coronavirus are among businesses permitted to reopen Friday.

Personal care services can be joined by bars, malls, health and wellness facilities and entertainment facilities that all may reopen to 50% capacity in the “green phase” of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan.

- by Bret Pallotto

You’ll soon be able to swim at Pa. state park beaches. Here’s what to know and what’s changed

A gradual reopening of state park swimming beach and pools is set to begin next week, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced Thursday.

On June 6, all 58 state park swimming beaches will be open to the public, with most state park pools in “yellow” and “green phase” counties opening June 13.

“Water-based activity is an integral part of the state park experience in Pennsylvania and, with appropriate protocols in place to ensure safety and as staffing permits, this department continues to reopen its state parks and forests so that Pennsylvanians can realize all the benefits of being outdoors,” Dunn said in a statement.

- by Acacia Aster Broder

Pennsylvania lawmakers plow ahead on budget, emergency aid

A temporary, no-new-taxes $25.8 billion spending package headed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk on Thursday, passed in speedy fashion barely 48 hours after its details first became public in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Wolf, a Democrat, has not said whether he will sign it. The main spending bill in the package won Senate approval, 44-6, on Thursday. It squeaked by the House, 103-99, just hours after it was unveiled Tuesday.

The $25.8 billion package carries full-year money for many public school budget lines, as well as for state-supported universities, debt service and school pension obligations. But it funds much of the rest of the state’s operating budget lines, including billions for social services, only through Nov. 30, the last day of the two-year legislative session.

- The Associated Press

Centre County reports 1 new case of COVID-19, as Pennsylvania surpasses 70,000 overall cases

Centre County continued to show Thursday it’s ready for the next step in Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening phase by adding one new case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, to boost its overall case total to 150, according to the state Department of Health.

That means the county has had about 13 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, which remains well within the state’s target goal of having 50 such cases or fewer. That number is part of the criteria that allowed the county to join 17 others in becoming the first Friday to move to the “green phase,” the least-restrictive phase of Wolf’s reopening plan.

- by Josh Moyer

Details of a meeting on reopening Centre County will not be released, raising Sunshine Act concerns

The commissioners did not hear public comment before requesting to delay Centre County’s reopening, and residents will not be able to read how the board reached that decision.

After debating how to classify the last-minute meeting, the board of commissioners decided Thursday not to release the minutes from their Friday phone call with Gov. Tom Wolf’s office. The decision followed guidance from county solicitor Elizabeth Dupuis to classify the meeting as an executive session.

But open records experts aren’t sure that move is in compliance with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act.

- by Marley Parish

Missing Grange Fair already? You’ll still be able to visit Grange Park this year as a camper

The Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair is canceled, but campers can still call the grounds home this summer.

Beginning June 4, the Grange Park in Centre Hall will open as a campground. You can bring summer staples like fires, grills, bikes and lawn games, and pets will be permitted, according to a Facebook post announcing “Getaway at Grange Park.”

- by Marley Parish

Flood of mail-in ballots spurs fight to change deadlines

Some county and state officials are warning that a flood of mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania -- fueled by fears of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic -- will create a number of problems in Tuesday’s primary election that must be fixed before they cause a disaster in this battleground state in November’s presidential election.

For one, they are warning that there will be no way to produce timely election results in November unless the law changes to allow counties to process mailed-in ballots before Election Day. Even in Tuesday’s relatively low-turnout primary election, election-night results might be unlikely in closely contested races, they say.

- The Associated Press

Centre County’s 6th COVID-19 death was a personal care home resident, coroner says

Another Centre County personal care home resident has died from the coronavirus, the coroner’s office said Wednesday evening.

An 88-year-old man died Wednesday at Mount Nittany Medical Center, Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers reported in a press release.

The unidentified man was a resident of Wynwood House at State College, owner Vincent Romanini said Wednesday evening. It is the second COVID-19-related death reported at the facility. According to the state Department of Health, the facility has had 17 cases among residents and 12 cases among employees, though Romanini disputes that data.

- by Bret Pallotto

Business/reopening updates

• Weis Markets has extended its operating hours by one hour in the evenings, and will now be open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 7 a.m.-8 p.m. The designated shopping hour for seniors and those with compromised immune systems remains 6-7 a.m. Tuesdays. Availability of Weis 2 Go Online Pickup or Delivery availability has also been extended from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Service delis have also reopened, with social distancing markers and signage, and the pharmacy has resumed its immunization program with additional safety precautions.
• The Centre County Library and Historical Museum’s Bookmobile will return to its regular weekly schedule with limited services starting Monday. Visitors are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing while waiting to enter. There will be a limit of one family/person in the vehicle at a time. The Bookmobile will be open for dropping off or picking up requested items only; browsing the shelves is not permitted. No fines or fees are being charged.
• Planet Fitness State College is reopening Saturday. In addition to the cleanliness and sanitation standards the gym has already had in place, employees will receive daily temperature checks and have undergone extensive cleaning and sanitizing training. There will be increased sanitation stations and some pieces of equipment will be off limits to promote social distancing.

Sports

Recreation

Clubs and activities

Health care

• Mount Nittany Medical Center is expanding its emergency services by offering 24-hour on-demand care via telehealth visits with a physician. For more information or to set up a visit, go to mountnittany.org/virtualER.

Election

Penn State

• As Centre County prepares to move into the green phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan, Penn State is reminding people that social distancing guidelines still apply on campus. Face masks must be worn when inside or when close to other people, the university said in a release. Social distancing of a least 6 feet is also required between people who are not from the same household. “Our campuses and local communities have done an extraordinary job of reducing the spread of the coronavirus,” Penn State President Eric Barron said. “But we must remain vigilant. The shift to a green phase signals that a county has made good progress in its efforts to minimize the spread of the virus, but it is not a green light to stop employing those safety measures, as the impacts from this pandemic are far from over.” Large gatherings are still discouraged, including at Penn State landmarks such as the Nittany Lion shrine and “We Are” statue

Pennsylvania news

Community feedback

• A new survey is asking State College businesses about their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. The responses will guide the borough and Redevelopment Authority as they develop programs to help local businesses. The survey will close at 11:59 p.m. May 31 and can be found here.
• Penn State has teamed up with local leaders for the Centre County COVID-19 Data 4 Action Project (Data 4 Action). The first initiative of the project is an anonymous survey, which will document how the pandemic is impacting Centre County residents’ lives and their experiences they as return to work and school. The survey launched Monday at Data4Action.psu.edu and can also be taken by phone from noon-7 p.m. Monday-Friday at 753-4799. All adult Centre County residents are asked to complete the survey by June 12. For every 100 individuals who complete the survey, Penn State will make a $100 donation to the Centre County Food Pantries (serving residents throughout the county) and will donate up to $10,000.

Community outreach/appreciation

• The Centre County United Way’s Hamer Foundation Community Disaster Fund will provide financial assistance to county residents who are struggling due to COVID-19. Those in need must contact Centre Helps to be eligible for help from the fund. Centre Helps will decide whether to apply for funding on that person’s behalf or refer him or her to an organization that will seek out all available support before applying for funds. Requests for funding, which will be $150,000 in the first phase, can be for items such as rent, mortgage payments, food, utility bills, medication costs and child care. Nonprofits interesting in applying on behalf of a client can find out more at www.ccunitedway.org/hamer-foundation-community-disaster-fund.

Things to do

• The third annual Central PA Theatre & Dance Fest will go virtual this year, June 19-21, with a weeklong series of events leading up to the three-day festival. For more information, visit Centralpatheatre.com.

• In a project called “Tying Us Together,” Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts organizers are calling for people to make friendship bracelets between now and July, sharing some with their friends and donating the remainder to the festival. Festival organizers will sell them at local retailers to support this year’s virtual Arts Festival, according to a news release.

A limited number of kits of embroidery floss and instructions are available at:

• Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, 403 S. Allen St., Suite 205A, State College
• The Makery, 209 W. Calder Way, State College
• State College Framing Company & Gallery, 160 Rolling Ridge Drive, State College
• Art a la Carte, 107 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte

For more information, visit https://arts-festival.com/2020/05/tying-us-together/.

• Ridgelines Language Arts is launching a new program, “Being Heard Poetry Pen Pals,” to replace its in-person programs at Centre Crest. Volunteer pen pals will be matched with a Centre Crest resident who has signed up for the program and pen pals will exchange regular notes and share favorite poems. To get involved or learn more, email RidgelinesLanguageArts@gmail.com

• The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Penn State moved its program online during the pandemic. The group offers courses, trips and activities for those 50 and older. OLLI’s summer course catalog is available online and registration begins June 1. The summer semester begins June 15.

Free meal options

This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 9:18 AM.