Reopening updates: Centre County reports 4 new cases of COVID-19, and other updates for July 1

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.

‘Complacency cannot be the norm.’ Pa. leaders expand mandatory masking in new order

Effective immediately, masks are now mandatory when leaving home, following an expansion of Pennsylvania’s business safety order.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Gov. Tom Wolf announced a new order Wednesday that takes mandatory masking at businesses and work sites one step further. The new order, which aims to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19, requires mandatory masking outside when unable to social distance, in public buildings and on public transportation.

“This mask-wearing order is essential to stopping the recent increase in COVID-19 cases we have seen in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said in a statement. “Those hot spots can be traced to situations where Pennsylvanians were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing — two practices that must be adhered to if we want to maintain the freedoms we have in place under our reopening.”

- by Marley Parish

Wolf expands mask order, wants new restrictions to be local

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration moved Wednesday to expand its indoor mask order to public places outdoors where social-distancing is impossible, while he also said that he prefers to let local governments handle further coronavirus restrictions, as opposed to the broad shutdown orders he imposed this spring.

Since April, Wolf’s administration has had a standing order that businesses must require employees and customers to wear masks.

But Wednesday’s order is similar to a days-old order in Philadelphia, extending it to crowded public places where it is impossible to remain six feet away from other people, as well as on public transportation and any indoor location where the public is generally permitted.

Separately, Wolf said that he does not envision another broad shutdown order to contain the coronavirus in Pennsylvania and, rather, hopes to leave those decisions to local governments.

Wolf’s Department of Health will continue to be a partner in supporting local officials, such as sharing information and best practices, he said.

- Associated Press

Penn State has tested 102 student-athletes for COVID-19 with 0 positives, AD Sandy Barbour says

Penn State Athletics released its initial COVID-19 results for the department Wednesday afternoon. The Nittany Lions have tested 102 student-athletes for the virus since they began their phased return to campus in early June and none have tested positive, as of June 30.

Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour announced the results on a conference call with the media Wednesday afternoon.

Barbour also announced future plans to release testing results every two weeks until students return to campus in late August.

- by Jon Sauber

State College Burger King near Penn State’s campus has closed. Here’s what we know

State College is down one more fast-food restaurant.

The Burger King at 521 University Drive, just a few blocks from Penn State’s campus, officially closed Monday. According to shift manager Robert Selfridge, who answered the phone at the location Wednesday, the restaurant had planned last year to close the location — but not until opening a new Burger King elsewhere.

Those plans changed as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, Selfridge said, presumably due to a decline in sales. (According to the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, a nonprofit marketing organization, county restaurants lost about 85% of their revenue during a two-month stretch of the pandemic.)

- by Josh Moyer

With latest closure, Patton Township plaza will be left with 2 empty storefronts

Gap Factory Outlet closed its only Centre County location after occupying a space in the Trader Joe’s Plaza for more than six years, a real estate agent said Wednesday.

The clothing retailer did not reopen after it was forced to close as part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, real estate agent Kandy Weader said.

Keystone Commercial Real Estate is looking for a new tenant to take over the space at 293 Patriot Lane, Weader said. Gap’s corporate office did not respond Wednesday to request for comment.

- Bret Pallotto

Centre County adds 4 new COVID-19 cases, per the DOH

After two consecutive days of no increases, Centre County added four new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the state Department of Health reports. The new cases bring Centre County’s total to 205 since March 20; 191 are confirmed, and 14 are probable.

DOH reported 636 new cases statewide, bringing the total to 87,242. There were 38 new COVID-19-related deaths in Pennsylvania, bringing the total to 6,687. County-by-county death data has not yet updated Wednesday afternoon.

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

• 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 43
• 16801 (State College): 44

• 16803 (State College): 39

• 16827 (Boalsburg): 12

• 16870 (Port Matilda): 9

• 16822 (Beech Creek): 11

• 16686 (Tyrone): 7
• 16841 (Howard): 7
  
  
• 16666, 16820, 16828, 16829, 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

Pennsylvania court turns down lawmakers’ bid to end shutdown

Pennsylvania’s high court on Wednesday ruled against an effort by Republican state lawmakers to end Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown orders.

A divided court ruled that a resolution passed with mostly GOP votes was a “legal nullity” because it was not sent to Wolf to sign or veto.

Republican majorities in both chambers, along with a few Democrats, voted to end the emergency disaster declaration that has led to closure of “non-life-sustaining” businesses, bans on large gatherings and orders that people stay at home.

- Associated Press

Pennsylvania finishes year $3B behind because of pandemic

Pennsylvania state government finished its fiscal year about 9% short of its initial revenue estimate, a result of the state’s coronavirus-related shutdowns and delayed tax-filing deadlines, the Department of Revenue said Wednesday.

The state collected $32.3 billion for the 12 months through Tuesday. That was about $3.2 billion less than projected at the beginning of the fiscal year.

June’s shortfall alone was $577 million, with most of it, or $444 million, due to reduced economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department said. It estimated that the rest of the shortfall is because due dates for various taxes were moved to July or later.

- Associated Press

Bellefonte’s return to school plan: Parental responsibility, masks for all, online options

Bellefonte Area School District plans to reopen schools this fall, but families will be responsible for ensuring children are healthy enough to attend and can opt for virtual learning.

Marion-Walker Elementary School Principal and pandemic coordinator Karen Krisch presented the district’s return to school plan during Tuesday night’s board meeting. Assuming Centre County maintains its “green” status of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan — the least restrictive phase — students and staff will be invited back for in-person instruction this fall.

In a letter sent to district parents and guardians, Interim Superintendent Tammie Burnaford said Bellefonte’s learning plan is being developed by a task force with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state Department of Health, World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics.

- by Marley Parish

July 4 will look different this year, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Centre County

Independence Day celebrations, set to represent one of the first shared experiences since March in Happy Valley, are almost here.

The Central Pennsylvania 4th Fest is scheduled to once again spearhead fireworks shows in the Centre Region, even though its traditional celebration was canceled.

The nonprofit plans to simultaneously light fireworks in four locations about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Recommended viewing locations include the Nittany Mall, Hills Plaza, the shopping center along Colonnade Boulevard and the Science Park Road corridor.

Volunteers expect the displays to last about 12-15 minutes. An accompanying soundtrack is scheduled to be broadcast via radio — 99.5 WBUS, 93.7 WMAJ, 101.1 WFGE and 103.1 WAPY. Rain dates are scheduled for Friday and Sunday.

4th Fest has also planned a different kind of parade this year, calling on community members and organizations to submit videos for a virtual parade from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/4thfestparade/.

- by Bret Pallotto

Eviction ban nears an end with renter aid still in pipeline

Federal emergency aid for renters in Pennsylvania hit hard financially during the pandemic is still in the pipeline as Gov. Tom Wolf’s ban on foreclosures and evictions nears an expiration.

The application period for aid begins Monday to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Five days later, Wolf’s moratorium expires.

Robin Wiessman, the agency’s CEO, said Wednesday that it will take a few days to verify the information that must be submitted to qualify for aid.

Wolf and state lawmakers are devoting at least $150 million in federal coronavirus emergency relief money for rental assistance of $750 per month for up to six months. Assistance is contingent on the renter losing their job after March 1, or seeing their income drop by at least 30% due to the pandemic. Landlords can apply, as well.

- Associated Press

Should Penn State football publicly release COVID-19 test results? One expert says no

Football programs across the country have publicly released their positive COVID-19 test totals, including Clemson, which has had at least 37 cases attributed to its football team. Those totals have raised red flags about the potential on-time start to the college football season, but one epidemiologist said there isn’t a communal benefit to releasing those numbers.

Matthew Ferrari, an associate professor of biology at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State, said that information isn’t necessary for the general public and is more of a threat to the protection of privacy than it is a benefit to the community.

“Disclosing results is about everybody else in the population understanding what the risks are around them,” Ferrari told the Centre Daily Times on Monday. “The goal of disclosing results is to encourage more protective or avoidance behavior by everybody else. I want to be really clear here, that doesn’t mean that you need to disclose the identity of the individual that is infected. Public health surveillance absolutely needs to respect individual privacy and absolutely should.”

Ferrari said disclosing positive results from athletes in particular doesn’t add distinct value to the community.

“There’s really no particular value to identifying an athlete as being infected,” he said. “You’re just identifying that there’s infection in the community and when there’s infection in the community, we should all redouble our efforts to be protective and avoid putting ourselves at risk and putting others at risk.”



- by Jon Sauber

It’s official: State College Spikes won’t have a season in 2020

Another summertime staple in State College has been erased from the calendar. The Spikes’ season, which was delayed from its June 18 start due to COVID-19, was officially canceled Tuesday.

Minor League Baseball President and CEO Pat O’Conner announced in a statement that there will not be a 2020 minor league season because the major league teams will not provide players to their affiliates. “While this is a sad day for many, this announcement removes the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season and allows” them to look ahead to 2021, O’Conner said.

The Spikes posted on Facebook that they were disappointed by the cancellation of what was to be their 15th season.

“We work throughout the year in anticipation of sharing summer nights together, making memories with friends old and new. We miss the smiles, shared experiences and all-inclusive sense of community the Spikes and Minor League Baseball stand for.”

- by Matt Hymowitz

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This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 10:38 AM.