Reopening updates: Centre County adds 2 COVID-19 cases, Pa. reports 1,213 new positives

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.

State College updates fall reopening options, extends deadline for families to decide

After hearing community concerns, the State College Area School District updated its reopening plan to include synchronous remote learning and extended deadlines for families to choose between online and in-person learning.

State College families, including those whose children attend the Delta Program, now have until Monday to select from a series of remote and in-person educational plans. The one-week extension follows a petition signed by nearly 300 parents, students, staff and alumni who voiced concern with SCASD’s initial reopening plan, which gave families the option to choose between in-person or asynchronous online learning through its virtual academy.

- by Marley Parish

Schools setting in-person teaching rules as pandemic spreads

The many Pennsylvania school districts that have not settled on how and when they will restart instruction this fall will be making decisions in the coming weeks, and the pandemic plans that have been produced so far are all over the map.

That’s by design, the state education secretary said Friday, as he encouraged districts to customize state-issued guidelines for their particular conditions.

“We know that schools and school districts are interpreting that in different ways, because this is guidance,” Secretary Pedro Rivera said in a phone interview. “But I want to be really clear, when we look at best practice, when we look at this through the public health perspective, face coverings, 6 feet or greater social distancing is what we know to be the best practice in mitigating the transmission of this disease.”

- The Associated Press

Centre County adds 2 COVID-19 cases as state reports highest one-day total since May

Pennsylvania on Friday reported the highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since May 10, while Centre County added two cases. The county’s total is 306, according to the state Department of Health. Of those cases, 276 are confirmed and 30 are probable. There have been 7,465 negative tests and nine deaths reported in the county.

Pennsylvania reported 1,213 new cases, pushing the statewide total to 105,571. There have been 999,377 negative tests, and the state estimates a 75% recovery rate. More than a third of Friday’s new cases were from Philadelphia (227) and Allegheny (198) counties.

There were 22 new deaths, bringing the total to 7,101 across the state.

“As the state has put in place new mitigation efforts to offset recent case increases, we must renew our commitment to protecting against COVID-19 by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework,” Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement.

DOH released the age breakdown of patients who tested positive:

• 1% are 0-4
• 1% are 5-12
• 3% are 13-18
• Nearly 9% are 19-24
• 37% are 25-49
• 23% are 50-64
• 25% are 65 or older

Cases among 19- to 24-year-olds have risen across Pennsylvania since April. In the southwestern part of the state, that age group now accounts for about 20% of cases, up from about 5%; in the southeast, 19- to 24-year-olds account for about 18% of cases, also up from about 5%.

The state’s early warning monitoring system dashboard shows that cases in Centre County increased during the most recent seven days compared to the previous seven days (from 25 to 28). The county’s percent positivity decreased from 2.4% to 1.8%. Average daily hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and the percentage of emergency department visits due to COVID-like illness both declined.

The statewide percent positivity rose to 4.7% from 4.4% last week. Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said several counties have “concerning” rates, including Beaver (8.7%), Franklin (7.7%), Allegheny (6.6%), Philadelphia (5.6%), York (5.4%), Dauphin (5.3%), Delaware (5.3%) and Bedford (5.1%).

“Each of these counties bear watching as the state continues to monitor all available data,” Wolf’s office said in a statement.

The Health Department now recommends travelers from Missouri and Wyoming quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Pennsylvania. Those two states were added to the department’s quarantine recommendations Friday.

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

• 16801 (State College): 64
• 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 52
• 16803 (State College): 43
• 16827 (Boalsburg): 15
• 16841 (Howard): 14
• 16875 (Spring Mills): 14
• 16866 (Philipsburg): 13
• 16822 (Beech Creek): 12
• 16870 (Port Matilda): 12
• 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 removed a case from the 16802 ZIP code Friday. Health Department spokesman Nate Wardle said there are instances when an address turns out not to be a patient’s residence, and the case is moved to another place.

“For college students, their residence is to be located as their college address, as that is where they spend the majority of their time,” Wardle said in an email. “We know that the case that was removed was done so appropriately.“

- by Matt Hymowitz

Where is Penn State’s COVID-19 testing plan? Silence, lack of answers irk community

Penn State has yet to publicly release a COVID-19 testing plan despite some students already spending time on campus and thousands more set to arrive in the coming weeks — a fact that is causing a growing sense of unease among students, community members and faculty.

Although the university has organized three task force groups and 12 action groups to better prepare for reopening, and it remains confident it will meet or exceed state and federal guidelines, some of Penn State’s biggest questions on dealing with the coronavirus remain unanswered — less than a month before students are set to return.

- by Josh Moyer

A Penn State student-athlete tested positive for COVID-19. Here’s what we know

A Penn State student-athlete recently tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first person to test positive in the University Park ZIP code and the first student-athlete to contract the virus, the athletics department confirmed Thursday morning.

Neither the sport nor the identity of the individual was announced. WPSU was the first to report the story Thursday, after the state Department of Health revealed a positive test in the 16802 ZIP code on Wednesday. (There were no listed cases prior.)

- by Josh Moyer

Community outreach/appreciation

Campus check-in

• Michigan State says all members of its football team will quarantine or isolate after another staff member and an athlete tested positive for COVID-19. The team had already paused workouts after a staff member tested positive.

• The Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame are considering whether the Fighting Irish will give up their treasured football independence to play as a member of the league for the 2020 season that has been thrown into question by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez says the school’s athletic department faces a potential $100 million loss of revenue in its $140 million budget due to challenges brought about by the pandemic.

• The University of North Carolina says men’s basketball coach Roy Williams and his wife, Wanda, donated more than $600,000 to fund scholarships for spring-sports seniors who are returning for another year after the coronavirus pandemic cut short the 2019-20 season.

Things to do

Free food options

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 10:03 AM.