Reopening updates: Centre County adds 6 cases of COVID-19, and other updates for Aug. 24
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.
Penn State checks in at No. 7 in AP Poll, serving as a reminder of what could’ve been
James Franklin surveyed the practice field in early August and liked what he saw. Penn State was only a couple days into its preseason camp, but the head coach’s group already passed the eyeball test.
Franklin said his team was big, long, lean and fast — the Nittany Lions certainly looked the part of a preseason top-10 team. On Monday, Penn State checked in at No. 7 in the preseason AP Poll, confirming what Franklin and others already knew.
But with the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall sports season, the Nittany Lions won’t have the chance to prove they can live up to their potential just yet.
- by Parth Upadhyaya
Football is back in Centre County as Mountain League teams are set to kick off their seasons
Football is officially back in Centre County.
The Mountain League on Sunday put together its plan for the 2020 football season, which means four of the county’s five schools now have a level of certainty for the fall.
The league — which includes Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola — will begin its season Sept. 11 with practices beginning Monday in order for teams to meet the minimum three weeks of practice required by the PIAA before the start of competition.
- by Jon Sauber
Centre County adds 6 cases of COVID-19
Centre County reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, which brings the county’s total to 423 since March 20. In all, 377 cases are confirmed and 46 are probable. There have been 11,789 negative tests.
Pennsylvania added 426 cases for a total of 129,474, the Department of Health said. There have been 1.43 million negative tests and an estimated recovery rate of 81%.
The age breakdown of positive patients is:
- 1% are 0-4
- Nearly 2% are 5-12
- Nearly 4% are 13-18
- Nearly 10% are 19-24
- Nearly 38% are 25-49
- Nearly 23% are 50-64
- Nearly 24% are 65 or older
There have been 20,730 resident cases and 4,394 employee cases in 919 nursing and personal care homes in 61 counties. In Centre County, there have been cases in 34 residents and 22 employees in seven facilities.
Statewide, there have been 7,579 deaths, including one new fatality. Of that total, 5,127 have occurred in residents of nursing and personal care homes. Centre County has had 11 deaths related to COVID-19, eight of which have been long-term care residents.
The breakdown of confirmed Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:
- 16801 (State College): 86
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 67
- 16803 (State College): 56
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 24
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 22
16686 (Tyrone): 22
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 20
- 16841 (Howard): 20
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 16
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 12
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 12
- 16853 (Milesburg): 6
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 6
- 16854 (Millheim): 6
- 16844 (Julian): 6
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 5
- 16802, 16804, 16829, 16832, 16845, 16851, 16852, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16877, 16882: 1-4 cases each.
The state does not list any COVID-19 hospitalizations in Centre County.
- by Matt Hymowitz
It’s not your internet connection. Massive Zoom outage impacts parts of the country
The first day of classes for Penn State students ran into another complication due to a massive Zoom outage.
Downdetector, which displays real time overviews of service outages, shows eastern parts of the country as being affected the most. According to the outage map, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago and D.C. were among the most impacted locations..
- by Marley Parish
Penn State frat Pi Kappa Alpha suspended after Saturday gathering involving about 70 students
A second Penn State fraternity has been summarily suspended after hosting a Saturday party with about 70 students in attendance, while chapter executives who refused entry to university officials have also been summarily suspended, the university announced Sunday.
Pi Kappa Alpha, 417 E. Prospect Ave., was expected to have all members undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing Sunday, and the university encouraged nonmembers in attendance to also be tested. According to Damon Sims, Penn State vice president for Student Affairs, no disciplinary action will be initiated against those who submit to supplementary testing.
“We’re all in this together, so when one of us, or a group, behaves in ways that threaten all of us, we must act, and we must act quickly,” Sims said in a written statement. “Social gatherings are among the very best ways to spread the virus, and refusing to comply with the public health mandates, even when directed to do so by university officials, will not be tolerated.”
- by Josh Moyer
Campus check-in
- Army has finalized its football schedule and the Black Knights will play 11 games, eight at home. Navy and Air Force remain on the schedule.
- Duke will open its season for football and other fall sports with no fans at home games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor of Tuscaloosa announced Monday that the city is closing bars for the next two weeks after University of Alabama officials described an “unacceptable” rise in COVID-19 cases that could derail plans to continue the semester on campus.
Classes started Monday at the University of Kansas under a cloud of concern about how and when the coronavirus pandemic would disrupt the fall semester. Even before classes began, the university found 89 people who moved back to campus early had tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 87 were students and most were from fraternities and sororities.
Iowa’s athletic department is working to secure a $75 million loan to cushion the blow of losing a projected $100 million in revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.
An attorney representing the families of 11 Nebraska football players says Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has not responded to a letter seeking documents and other material outlining specifics of how the conference decided to not play football in the fall.
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney and men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell are among 15 members of the school’s athletic department taking a voluntary 10% salary cut as a way to offset expected losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Community outreach/appreciation
Business updates
Things to do
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 9:27 AM.