Reopening updates: Centre County adds 7 new cases of COVID-19, while Pa.’s total tops 100,000

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 7 new cases of COVID-19, while Pennsylvania’s total eclipses 100,000

More than 100,000 Pennsylvanians have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The addition of 763 new cases on Saturday brings the statewide total to 100,241, according to the state Department of Health.

Centre County added seven new positive cases, bringing its total to 277 since the first case was reported on March 20. Of that total, 255 have been confirmed, and 22 cases are probable. There have been 6,365 negative tests.

The state recorded 15 new COVID-19-related deaths, bringing its total to 7,007. The DOH counts nine deaths in Centre County, while the county coroner’s office has confirmed six.

Of Pennsylvanians who have tested positive, the DOH’s breakdown in age group is as follows:

• 1% are ages 0-4;
• 1% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 3% are ages 13-18;
• 8% are ages 19-24;
• 37% are ages 25-49;
• 23% are ages 50-64; and
• Nearly 26% are ages 65 or older.

Most hospitalizations and deaths have been from patients 65 or older, according to the DOH. The state estimates that 76% of patients have recovered.

DOH data shows two more employee cases and another death associated with Centre County long-term living facilities on Saturday. There have now been 25 patient cases, 18 employee cases and seven deaths across three facilities, according to the DOH.

Centre Crest administrator Andrew Naugle told the Centre Daily Times on Wednesday that five employees and three residents in total have tested positive for COVID-19. One case was active and all residents at the Bellefonte facility were asymptomatic.

Presbyterian Senior Living reported Saturday that there are a total of two active resident and five active staff cases at Windy Hill Village in Philipsburg. The date of the last positive test was Thursday.

Wynwood House at State College and The Oaks at Pleasant Gap have also previously confirmed cases among residents and staff to the Centre Daily Times.

COVID-19 deaths confirmed by the Centre County Coroner’s Office have been an 89-year-old man on April 16, a 96-year-old man May 8, an 89-year-old woman May 9, a 74-year-old man May 12, an 88-year-old woman May 13 and an 88-year-old man May 27.

Here’s the breakdown of confirmed Centre County cases by ZIP code:

• 16801 (State College): 60
• 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 50
• 16803 (State College): 42
• 16827 (Boalsburg): 14

• 16841 (Howard): 14

• 16822 (Beech Creek): 12

• 16870 (Port Matilda): 11
• 16875 (Spring Mills): 11

• 16866 (Philipsburg): 9

• 16828 (Centre Hall): 8

• 16686 (Tyrone): 8

• 16853 (Milesburg): 6

• 16666, 16820, 16829, 16832, 16844, 16845, 16851, 16852, 16860, 16865, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16877: 1-4 cases each
  
  The state does not give specific numbers when there are fewer than five cases to protect patient privacy and does not identify exactly where a case occurred in a ZIP code that spans multiple counties.

- by Lauren Muthler

Is PSU spending more than last year? What you should know about 2020-21 tuition freeze, budget

Penn State is moving forward with a proposed $7 billion operating budget — an increase over last year’s $6.8 billion — that accounts for an across-the-board tuition freeze, prorated room and board fees in the fall, and expenses related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning voted unanimously Thursday to recommend the operating budget, which will almost certainly be formally approved by the full board Friday.

The university expects to operate under a deficit of less than $200 million for the fiscal year.

- by Josh Moyer

How will Gov. Tom Wolf’s targeted mitigation efforts affect Centre County businesses?

When Gov. Tom Wolf announced new COVID-19 mitigation efforts late Wednesday afternoon, Pennsylvania bar and restaurant owners had a few hours to adjust operations.

With some Pennsylvanians ignoring the masking mandate, traveling out-of-state and a “lack of national coordination,” Wolf said the new executive order was made in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases and places stricter regulations on indoor restaurant and bar operations.

Under the mandate, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, businesses must limit indoor dining occupancy to 25%. Alcohol consumption is reserved for meals and carry-out, and nightclubs are prohibited from opening.The Pennsylvania Liquor Code defines a meal as “food prepared on the premises, sufficient to constitute breakfast, lunch or dinner” — not “a snack, such as pretzels, popcorn, chips or similar food.”

Takeout sales of alcohol are permitted but are subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by state law.

Outdoor dining operations can remain unchanged, and outdoor social gatherings are still limited to 250 people.

- by Marley Parish

Here’s why Penn State says more than half of its fall-semester classes will be online-only

More than half of Penn State’s classes will be held entirely online in the fall semester as a direct result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the university announced late Wednesday night.

About 1 in 5 classes — 19% — will still be delivered entirely in-person, while 28% will consist of a hybrid model that blends both online and in-person. In other words, a little more than half (53%) of Penn State’s classes will be online-only while a little less than half (47%) will have some form of in-person instruction.

Students are still able to temporarily change their campus in the fall to any nearby commonwealth campus or to the World Campus, if they no longer wish to attend University Park for the semester. Any University Housing contracts can be canceled without penalty.

- by Josh Moyer

Pennsylvania news

• Former Pennsylvania governors Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge voiced their support on Friday for how Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration have handled the COVID-19 crisis. “All Pennsylvanians should heed the Wolf Administration’s directives to wear a mask when out of the home,” Ridge, a Republican, said. “Like all Pennsylvanians, Gov. Wolf and Secretary Levine are hoping to avoid the COVID-19 spikes impacting other states so that we can get our economy back up and running as soon as possible. Wearing a mask is a simple, selfless act all of us should support.”
• Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday urged Congress for quick action to help provide financial aid to restaurants through the bipartisan Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive Act. The bill would provide $120 billion to help independent restaurants with the economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor urged Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to support the federal bill, which would provide grants to cover the difference between revenues from 2019 and projected revenues through 2020, with a maximum grant of $10 million.

• Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 3,904 licensed liquor establishments from July 13 through July 16 as part of its regular COVID-19 mitigation enforcement checks, and issued 44 warnings to those that failed to follow the requirements. Those requirements include wearing a face covering at all times unless seated, maintaining 6 feet of physical distance or putting up physical barriers between booths, and enforcing maximum occupancy limits. The most warnings — nine —were issued by the Harrisburg enforcement office. Violators could face administrative citation.

• The state Department of Health’s COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard comparing the seven-day period of July 10 – July 16 to the previous seven days, July 3 – July 9 indicated ”cause for concern,” Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday. As of Thursday, July 16, the state has seen a seven-day case increase of 5,579, the previous seven-day increase was 4,914. While the statewide percent-positivity is 4.4%, the Governor’s Office noted “concerning” percent-positivity rates in Beaver (8.2%), Allegheny (7.5%), Washington (6.2%), Indiana (6.1%), Lawrence (6.1%), York (6.1%), Lebanon (6.0%), Philadelphia (5.5%), Dauphin (5.1%) and Westmoreland (5.0%) counties. Centre County has a percent-positivity rate of 2.4%

Closings/cancellations

• The Snow Shoe Fall Festival Car Show set for Sept. 19 has been canceled.

Reopenings

Community outreach/appreciation

Things to do

Free food options

This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 11:17 AM.