Reopening updates: Centre County adds 2 new cases of COVID-19 among nursing home residents, per the DOH
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.
Centre County adds 2 new cases of COVID-19 among long-term living facility residents
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday is reporting two new cases of the novel coronavirus in Centre County, as part of the 813 new cases statewide. It’s also reporting that a third long-term living facility in Centre County has been impacted by the virus, and two new cases attributed to residents.
The number of employees impacted remains at 14 and deaths remain at six.
While the DOH did not release the name of the additional long-term living facility, Presbyterian Senior Living, in its daily COVID-19 case updates, is reporting two active resident cases and two active employee cases at Windy Hill Village in Philipsburg on Saturday. Wynwood House at State College and The Oaks at Pleasant Gap have previously confirmed cases among residents and staff to the Centre Daily Times, and Centre Crest had confirmed two employee cases.
Whenever a case of coronavirus is found at any of its locations, Presbyterian Senior Living implements several procedures to mitigate the spread. Those procedures include notifying health officials, restricting the area where the infected patients were, ensuring all employees caring for COVID patients have personal protective equipment, and placing the patients in isolated rooms, according to Presbyterian Senior Living’s COVID-19 page.
Centre County has now had 242 positive cases since March 20. Of those cases, 225 have been confirmed, and 16 are probable. There have been 5,576 negative tests.
The statewide COVID-19 total now stands at 94,689. Allegheny County saw an increase of 215, and Philadelphia County saw 105 new cases.
There have been 132,648 tests administered in Pennsylvania between July 4 and Friday, with 5,135 positive results, according to the DOH.
With an increase of 17, there have been 6,897 total deaths attributed to COVID-19 statewide. The DOH is reporting eight deaths in Centre County, while the coroner’s office has confirmed six.
The state estimates that 77% of patients have recovered. The DOH calculates recoveries based on whether a case has not been recorded as a death and is more than 30 days past the date of their first positive test or onset of symptoms. There have been 817,634 negative tests.
- by Lauren Muthler
How Centre County high school football teams are preparing for an uncertain season
High school sports are inching closer to a return amid the coronavirus pandemic, but not without an abundance of caution. All five Centre County football programs have begun a phased return to play, with four of the five beginning workouts within the past two weeks.
State College is the lone team that has yet to begin its summer program. The Little Lions will start working out Wednesday
The other four schools, all of which play in the Mountain League, have already started their workouts. Penns Valley was the first to get underway on June 22, followed by Philipsburg-Osceola on June 24, Bald Eagle Area on June 29 and Bellefonte on July 1.
All five schools have released their own detailed return to play plans for summer workouts that include restrictions on what teams are allowed to do and detail social distancing practices to keep players safe.
- By Jon Sauber
Centre County to receive $341,549 for homelessness assistance and prevention
Centre County will receive $341,549 in funding through the Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act to put toward homelessness assistance and prevention, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced Friday.
The money is part of the nearly $19 million that will be distributed across the state in the first of two allocations of the funding provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental appropriation.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected housing opportunities, safety, and reliability for thousands of Pennsylvanians. As we begin to recover our economy, we must also ensure that our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians and those at greatest risk of losing their homes and housing stability are able to recover as well,” Wolf said. “Our homeless providers and partners are working tirelessly in their communities to end and prevent homelessness, and these distributions will drive direct support and assistance to counties in need across the state.”
In Centre County, Out of the Cold has extended its shelter season for overnight stays, which typically ends in May, into the summer due to a steady number of guests seeking services throughout the pandemic.
The funding is intended to go toward preventing, preparing and responding to coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homelessness assistance, as well as to support additional homelessness assistance and prevention activities to mitigate the impact created by the pandemic.
The funding will be awarded to the Centre County Board of Commissioners, which in May authorized the county’s Office of Adult Services to apply for the grant.
Part of the $1,385,373 awarded to the Blair County Community Action Program will also be distributed in Centre County, along with Blair, Adams, Bedford, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties.
- by CDT staff reports
Buses pose particular challenge for schools’ pandemic plans
A proposal to construct plastic barriers around school bus drivers as a COVID-19 mitigation tactic was shot down by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, a sign of one particular challenge — among many — schools face as they plan for a fall reopening.
The state Education Department told districts last month each can restart in-person instruction with a plan that’s approved by the local school board, made public and provided to the state. But Education Secretary Pedro Rivera warned that transportation would be a difficult problem to solve.
The great majority of the state’s public school districts contract with private companies to provide bus transportation, and those companies have difficulty finding and keeping enough drivers in the best of times, said Mike Berk with the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, a trade group.
“Everyone is looking at this very differently. And they all are looking at the science of it. They’re looking at what’s going to work in their district. But there is no single answer to the question. All we know is what we’re trying to do is put options out there for the districts,” Berk said.
- Associated Press
Virtual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts hosts slate of musicians
Despite the cancellation of in-person performances — or in-person anything — at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, virtual performances from favorite Arts Fest musicians can be found online through Sunday.
The schedule includes 12 local musical acts dispersed throughout the days.
This year’s format was successfully modified, but it wasn’t easy.
“Figuring out how to handle the music was one of the more difficult problems we faced,” said Rick Bryant, Arts Fest executive director, “just because of the technology involved and the skill set of the festival staff, and not working with the people we normally work with.”
- by Kevin Briggs, for the CDT
‘We are very, very concerned.’ COVID-19 cases among those college-aged are on the rise in Pa.
Pennsylvania’s college-aged adults are catching COVID-19 at increasingly high levels, a trend so concerning the state Department of Health recently released a health alert — the highest-level of importance among a three-tiered system — on the pandemic’s shifting demographics.
According to the state DOH, five of the commonwealth’s six regions have seen the rate of infections among the 19-24 age group either nearly double or more than double. And that’s not welcome news for communities such as State College, which is home to the nation’s ninth-largest undergraduate population in Penn State.
University students are officially set to return Aug. 21.
- by Josh Moyer
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This story was originally published July 11, 2020 at 10:30 AM.