We Rebuild

Reopening updates: Pennsylvania DOH removes 5 cases from Centre County’s COVID-19 case total

CDT staff reports

Updated June 17, 2020 6:24 PM

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

Pennsylvania DOH removes 5 COVID-19 cases from Centre County’s total

After five days of a steady increase in COVID-19 cases, Centre County saw its total decrease by five Wednesday, according to the state Department of Health’s data. The county now has has 172 total cases, per the DOH.

The five cases removed from Centre County’s count all came from the 16803 ZIP code. While it’s unclear exactly why the five cases were removed, DOH spokesman Nate Wardle said it could be tied to populations living at temporary residences.

“Cases are identified by county of residence,” he said in an email. “For areas where there are populations who maybe living at a temporary residence, such as college students, nursing homes, etc., (and) as we conduct case investigations and determine the county of residence, case counts will be updated as part of the constant data cleaning process.”

Across Pennsylvania, 335 new cases were reported Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 79,818. On Tuesday, 362 new cases were reported. Wednesday marks the fourth consecutive day that Pennsylvania has reported fewer than 400 new COVID-19 cases.

The state’s COVID-19 death count increased by 43, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,319. There have been six deaths related to the novel coronavirus in Centre County, per the DOH.

In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):

16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 41
16803 (State College): 34
16801 (State College): 35
16827 (Boalsburg): 10
16870 (Port Matilda): 9
16686 (Tyrone): 7
16822 (Beech Creek): 5
16841 (Howard): 5
16666, 16828, 16844, 16845, 16852, 16860, 16865, 16866, 16872, 16875: 1-4 cases each (The state does not give specific numbers when there are fewer than five cases to protect patient privacy.)

- by Lauren Muthler

Here’s how Centre County has fared with COVID-19 cases since entering the ‘green phase’

Centre County has remained well below the state’s goal of fewer than 50 new confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000, even after transition to the least restrictive phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan.

About 11 new cases per 100,000 were reported in Centre County during the past two weeks, according to data provided by the state Health Department.

The metric is not the only one used to inform DOH decisions, but Centre County has consistently met other benchmarks as well.

- by Bret Pallotto

NCAA approves plan for teams such as Penn State to begin preseason football camp

Penn State football could be moving closer to an on-time start to the 2020 season.

The NCAA Division I Council approved a preseason football plan Wednesday that has schools on track for their scheduled start.

The plan includes a six-week preseason leading up to the beginning of the regular season as well as a time frame for practices and workouts leading up to the preseason.

- by Jon Sauber

High court to decide lawsuit seeking end to disaster order

Pennsylvania’s highest court on Wednesday granted the Democratic governor’s request and took over a lawsuit by legislative Republicans that could end his pandemic shutdown order.

The Supreme Court announced it will decide the case filed by Senate Republicans, seeking to enforce a resolution that both chambers passed last week to end the state of disaster emergency imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf in March.

The case had been filed in Commonwealth Court, where Republicans hold a majority of the seats, but Democrats have a 5-2 edge on the Supreme Court.

- Associated Press

Hundreds of Penn State faculty members voiced concerns about reopening. Have they been ignored?

Penn State’s plan to resume in-person classes for the fall semester was a relief to some students, employees and downtown businesses, but some faculty are questioning how the university reached that decision.

More than 840 faculty and more than 300 graduate employees, students or others signed an open letter sent Friday to three university administrators, including President Eric Barron.

The letter chiefly called for faculty to have autonomy when deciding how classes are delivered, a promise of job security and transparency in the decision-making process.

- by Bret Pallotto

Penn State football’s Noah Cain cautious as workouts resume after seeing COVID-19’s impact on family

Penn State football’s Noah Cain saw firsthand how dangerous COVID-19 can be.

Cain had four family members, including his mother, contract the virus over the past few months.

“I had a few family members that had the virus,” Cain said on a teleconference with the media Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve seen what it can do to you. It definitely needs to be taken seriously. It’s not a joke.”

Cain’s family members are doing better now, according to the running back, but their experience with it opened his eyes to what it can do to someone.

- by Jon Sauber

What would a socially-distanced downtown State College look like? Options are in the works

Downtown State College could look a lot different come fall with the return of Penn State students and in pursuit of accommodating social distancing recommendations.

During Monday’s virtual State College Borough Council, a plan was presented for potential infrastructure adjustments to downtown as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.

Edward LeClear, the planning director for the borough, gave a brief presentation to the council on the “State College Pedestrian Safety & Social Distancing Project,” which was not up for a vote but rather a conceptual-level brainstorm for council members to think about and provide feedback.

- by Michael Sneff for the CDT

Health care

A COVID-19 drive-thru testing site will open in the Walmart parking lot on North Atherton Street beginning Wednesday, according to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office. Quest Diagnostics and Walmart are working with the department to provide no-cost testing for residents living in areas where there are fewer testing sites. Starting Wednesday, the sites will be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7-9 a.m. to test up to 50 registered patients daily. Registration is required one day in advance. For more information, visit www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Symptoms-Testing.aspx.
University Health Services is now offering telemedicine to provide safe and convenient health care for students. Those students who would normally have access to UHS providers and services will still be able to access those providers, with a few exceptions depending on the states they live in, via phone or video interactions. Telemedicine providers can diagnose, suggest follow-up care and prescribe medications. “We’re excited to be able to offer telemedicine visits to our students,” said Robin Oliver-Veronesi, senior director of UHS. “Please reach out to us with your medical concerns. We are here for you, and we will continue to support our students.” Visit the UHS webpage for more information. To make an appointment, call 814-863-0774.
All current Penn State employees at all campus locations and their immediate family members are eligible to use University Health Services Pharmacy, the university announced Tuesday. The UHS Pharmacy at University Park offers prescriptions and over-the-counter items by mail (home or campus) and curbside pickup from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Complete the Pharmacy Employee/Retiree Enrollment Form or call a customer service representative at 800-821-7285 to start filling prescriptions.

Penn State

Penn State will hold a pair of virtual town halls Monday to address questions and concerns related to its plan to return students, faculty and staff to campus and resume in-person learning in the fall. The first hourlong town hall is set for 2 p.m. and will be focused on faculty and staff. The second town hall, devoted to students and their families, will begin at 3:30 p.m. President Eric Barron will host both events, and will be joined by Executive Vice President and Provost Nick Jones, Vice President for Human Resources Lorraine Goffe, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics researcher Matt Ferrari. The town halls can be viewed at liveevents.psu.edu and will be recorded and archived for later viewing. Faculty and staff and students can submit questions online.
Penn State is now accepting applications from students for the second round of funding from the university’s share of the federal Higher Education Relief Fund. The funding is available for students who incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Penn State awarded up to $1,000 to more than 25,000 students to help pay for things such as course material, food, housing and child care with the first round of funding. Students who did not receive a grant in the first round can apply at https://studentaid.psu.edu/pubThemeAppsWa/CaresApp.

Community outreach/appreciation

Since March, Rutter’s has donated $1,000 in gift cards to the YMCA of Centre County. The Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain also teamed up with Australian food company Four ‘N Twenty to donate 180 cases of their beef and cheese travellers to help stock the YMCA’s Travelin’ Table during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our company understands the importance of providing for our communities, especially during these difficult times,” said Rutter’s President and CEO Scott Hartman. “We’re fortunate to be able to help these children and have great partners willing to step up, too.” Added Mel Curtis, director of the YMCA’s Anti-Hunger Program: “This partnership with Rutter’s has made a major impact in allowing us to reach children and families facing food insecurity and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them.”

Pennsylvania news

Schools are eligible to apply for $157.5 million in health and safety grants related to COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday. The funds are available through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s School Safety and Security Committee. School districts, career and technical centers, intermediate units and charter schools must apply by June 30 to receive a share of $150 million in federal CARES Act funding. Intermediate units can apply on behalf of nonpublic schools by July 8 for another $7.5 million. The funds can be used for programs or items to address the pandemic, such as purchasing cleaning products, training staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious disease, and modifying existing areas to promote social distancing.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced that $40 million from the federal CARES Act is available to support the state’s dairy industry and food security programs. The state has set aside $15 million to provide direct relief to dairy farmers and $5 million to reimburse farmers who participate in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System by donating excess product to the state’s charitable food system. Any dairy farm that experienced losses due to discarded or displaced milk during the COVID-19 emergency disaster can apply for aid by Sept. 30. Additionally, $15 million will be allocated to the State Food Purchase Program, which provides grants for counties to purchase and distribute food to low-income residents.
Some symptoms of Lyme disease resemble those of COVID-19, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Tuesday. “Over the past several months, we have seen an increase in the number of emergency department visits related to tick bites,” Levine said in a release. “Some symptoms of Lyme disease, such as fever, chills and headache, are similar to symptoms of COVID-19. It is essential that all residents know the proper ways to protect themselves against ticks and are aware of the dangerous diseases they can carry. We want all Pennsylvanians to get outside and be healthy but do so in the safest way possible.” More than 8,500 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Pennsylvania in 2019, according to the Department of Health. Reduce the risk of a tick bite by: walking in the center of trails and avoiding areas with high grass; using a repellent with at least 20% DEET; wearing light-colored clothing; conducting full-body tick checks on yourself and your pets after being outdoors; and bathing within two hours after returning indoors.
The Pennsylvania Capitol building will reopen to the public, with modified COVID-19 prevention protocols, on Monday. The reopening follows Dauphin county’s move into the green phase on Friday.
Proprietary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that Pennsylvania is one of three states that have had a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases for more than 42 days, Gov. Tom Wolf announced at a press conference on Wednesday. The other two states are Montana and Hawaii. “We know our decline in cases is because of our choices because more than half of states are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases as reopening begins,” Wolf said in a release. “Many of these states are experiencing significant case increases tied to reopening too soon or too much. Pennsylvania is not. We have remained focused on balancing economic interests with public health.”