Reopening updates: Centre County adds 1 COVID-19 case, and other updates for Aug. 4

We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date coronavirus news as Penn State and local schools prepare to reopen. Check back for updates.

State College shifts gears in elementary schools after 70% choose to learn in person

About 70% of State College elementary students plan to attend school in person this fall, prompting the school district to alter its reopening plan for those grade levels.

State College Area School District parents and guardians had until last week to select their learning plan for the 2020-21 school year. After analyzing the numbers, the district had to reevaluate its elementary education model, according to a letter to district families from Superintendent for Elementary Education Vern Bock.

- by Marley Parish

Wolf ed head takes new job as schools grapple with reopening

Pennsylvania’s education secretary announced Tuesday he will be leaving the job to take another position, as schools throughout the state are scrambling to develop and implement pandemic reopening plans.

Secretary Pedro Rivera, a member of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s cabinet for more than five years, was hired as president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster. He will remain education secretary until October.

Wolf said he will nominate Noe Ortega, one of Rivera’s top lieutenants, to be the state’s next education secretary.

- The Associated Press

Centre County adds 1 COVID-19 case

Centre County reported one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. Pennsylvania added 854 cases to bring the state’s total to 115,009. The county has had 359 cases since March 20, with 321 confirmed and 38 probable. There have been 8.967 negative tests.

The age breakdown of those who have tested positive in Pennsylvania is:

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

The state reported 7,232 deaths, including 23 new fatalities. DOH lists 10 Centre County deaths. According to Health Department data, there are no COVID-19 hospitalizations in Centre County.

Statewide, there are 19,694 cases in residents and 4,024 cases in employees of nursing and personal care homes. In Centre County, there have been 33 cases in residents and 19 cases in staff in five facilities. Across the state, 4,922 deaths have been in long-term care residents; eight Centre County deaths have been in long-term care residents,

The breakdown of confirmed Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:

• 16801 (State College): 74
• 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 63
• 16803 (State College): 49
• 16875 (Spring Mills): 20
• 16841 (Howard): 16
• 16866 (Philipsburg): 16
• 16827 (Boalsburg): 15
• 16870 (Port Matilda): 12
• 16822 (Beech Creek): 12
• 16828 (Centre Hall): 9
• 16686 (Tyrone): 9
• 16853 (Milesburg): 6
• 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5
• 16666, 16802, 16820, 16829, 16832, 16844, 16845, 16851, 16852, 16854, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16877, 16882: 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 Matt Hymowitz

State College’s start to the fall sports season delayed with Mid Penn Conference decision

Last week the PIAA gave its member schools the leeway to begin seasons at their own pace during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the Mid Penn Conference announced it would be taking advantage of that option.

The Mid Penn announced the earliest its schools may begin formal fall practice is Sept. 4, pending local board approvals.

The decision means State College will not be able to start its preseason practices for another month. The school’s football program began its voluntary offseason workouts July 15.

- by Jon Sauber

Centre County libraries resume limited in-person services. Here’s what to know about the changes

After being closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre County Library and Historical Museum opened its doors Monday to community members.

The library branches — located in Bellefonte, Centre Hall and Philipsburg — have reopened, but due to coronavirus mitigation efforts, residents must adhere to mandatory health guidelines to access in-person services. All facilities have been equipped with plexiglass guards, and furniture has been moved to accommodate social distancing. Increased cleaning procedures have been put in place to mitigate the spread of germs.

- by Marley Parish

Pennsylvania news

• Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday that he will direct $28 million to help higher education providers safely resume operations in the fall. “Students attending postsecondary institutions and participating in adult education programs are eager to return to class, and institutions have been planning for months for a safe return to instruction,” Wolf said in a statement. “This funding will help these institutions, whether they choose to continue to provide remote instruction, return to in-person instruction, or employ a hybrid approach to meet the instructional needs of their students.” Penn State will receive $1.9 million to implement health and safety plans. The Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology will receive $13,320 and South Hills School of Business and Technology is slated to get $17,058 from the state.
  
  
  
  

Campus check-in

• Big 12 schools agreed Monday night to play one nonconference football game this year to go along with their nine league contests as plans for the pandemic-altered 2020 season continued to fall into place.
• Indiana State has paused football workouts for two weeks after six players tested positive for COVID-19.
• The Northwestern football team has paused workouts after a player tested positive for COVID-19.

• The Sun Belt Conference will keep its eight-game league football schedule and allow its members to play up to four nonconference games this season.

• Minnesota star wide receiver Rashod Bateman will pass on a 2020 college football season that has been complicated – and threatened – by the pandemic. Bateman is the first prominent player in the Big Ten Conference to declare he’s skipping the 2020 season.

• The start of Southeastern Conference football practices has been pushed back 10 days to Aug. 17. The league announced a new preseason practice schedule on Tuesday after previously announcing that SEC teams would play only league games and pushing the season start back to Sept. 26.

Community outreach/appreciation

Reopenings

Things to do

Free food options

This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 9:51 AM.