Reopening updates: Centre County reports 20 new cases of COVID-19, and other updates for Aug. 29

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Centre County adds 20 cases of COVID-19

The state Department of Health reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 in Centre County on Saturday, bringing the county’s total to 462. Overall, there have been 416 confirmed and 46 probable cases. There have been 13,441 negative test results.

Saturday’s new cases mark the largest daily increase in Centre County with the exception of the 43 cases that were reported July 26 and later found to be invalid.

Saturday’s increase in positive cases in Centre County isn’t surprising, as Penn State students returned to campus last week, and the university is able to test more than 400 symptomatic students per day — about 100 via its own equipment and another 320 through Quest Diagnostics — while testing about 1% of the university population daily via asymptomatic tests with the help of Vault Health.

The university reported Friday via its COVID-19 dashboard that 27 Penn State students — 14 symptomatic and 13 asymptomatic — have tested positive from Aug. 21-27 for COVID-19 with more than 1,000 tests still pending results. Those students are in isolation, according to the university.

In Pennsylvania, there were 843 additional positives, for a statewide total of 132,834. There have been 1,504,108 negative tests, and the state estimates a 82% recovery rate.

An increase of 16 deaths were reported statewide. There have so far been 7,671 COVID-19-related deaths in Pennsylvania. Of those deaths, 11 have been Centre County residents, according to the DOH.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 2% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 4% are ages 13-18;
• 10% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 38% are ages 25-49;
• Nearly 23% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 23% are ages 65 or older.

The state reported 20,979 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,478 cases among employees in 925 nursing or personal care homes. In Centre County, there have been 35 cases among residents and 22 among staff across eight facilities, per the DOH. The state attributes eight of Centre County’s deaths to nursing or personal care homes.

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

• 16801 (State College): 110 (18 new cases)
• 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 69 (1 new case)
• 16803 (State College): 56 (1 new case)
• 16686 (Tyrone): 27 (1 new case)
• 16866 (Philipsburg): 25 (1 new case)
• 16875 (Spring Mills): 23 (1 new case)
• 16870 (Port Matilda): 20
• 16841 (Howard): 20
• 16827 (Boalsburg): 16
• 16822 (Beech Creek): 12
• 16828 (Centre Hall): 12

• 16802 (University Park): 10 (4 new cases)

• 16666 (Osceola Mills): 8
• 16853 (Milesburg): 7
• 16854 (Millheim): 6
• 16844 (Julian): 6
• 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5
• 16820 (Aaronsburg): 5
• 16851 (Lemont): 5
• 16877 (Warriors Mark): 5
• 16804, 16829, 16832, 16845, 16852, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 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.

There are no patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Centre County, according to the state’s dashboard.

- by Lauren Muthler

‘We are in crisis mode.’ Centre County hospitality industry works to survive amid COVID-19 outbreak

As a Penn State alumnus and season ticket holder, Pat Romano was devastated by the Big Ten’s decision to cancel fall football.

But as a business owner, it was just one day out of six months worth of challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster,” Romano said. “One day things sound great, like they’re going to change. But the next day, it goes downhill.”

Romano and his wife, Jennifer, purchased the We Are Inn, the former Mallard Motel at 1535 Port Matilda Highway in Philipsburg, last year. Determined to bring the property back to life after sitting vacant for decades, Romano was looking forward to hosting guests for Penn State sporting events and graduation.

But the coronavirus outbreak and resulting statewide shutdown put a damper on reservations and a grand opening celebration, scheduled for what would have been Blue-White weekend.

- by Marley Parish

27 Penn State students test positive for COVID-19 in week, with tests still pending

Twenty-seven Penn State students attending the University Park campus have tested positive this week for COVID-19 with more than 1,000 tests still pending results, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

According to the data Penn State released late Friday afternoon, which includes results from Aug. 21-27, 14 students were positive out of 125 symptomatic tests — meaning the students showed clear symptoms — and another 13 were positive out of 2,825 asymptomatic tests, which were given randomly to students who showed no outward signs of infection.

Nearly 30% of test results are not yet accounted for — 1,195 asymptomatic tests and 35 symptomatic tests — so the positive cases are expected to rise.

- by Josh Moyer

Big Ten considering Thanksgiving week start date for college football season, reports say

As pressure continues to mount on the Big Ten and Commissioner Kevin Warren for postponing the fall college football season, the conference’s football coaches have been working on a revised schedule.

On Friday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel first reported that a new option was brought to the table in discussions: starting a Big Ten season of at least eight games the week of Thanksgiving. Reports earlier this month indicated that league officials were working on a plan to play an eight-game season starting in January.

Though a few Big Ten coaches have been persistent in trying to get the conference to go back to a traditional schedule, Warren and other decision-makers have made it clear that is not happening, according to several reports. Yahoo Sports reported that some Big Ten coaches met Friday morning to discuss scheduling options for the season, with options for start dates including Thanksgiving week, New Year’s Day, mid-January and post Super Bowl.

- by Parth Upadhyaya

Centre County opens applications for COVID-19 relief funding. Here’s how to apply

In an effort to provide support for locally owned and operated businesses, Centre County government is poised to release additional relief funds.

The application to receive funding from the Centre County COVID-19 County Relief Block grant program launched Friday morning. The board of commissioners was awarded $14,664,804 in June to help address challenges created by the pandemic, statewide shutdown and mitigation efforts.

“This is not a first-come, first-served application process,” Mary Kay Williams, grant administrator, said Thursday. “This is a thorough process.”

- by Marley Parish

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This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 12:31 PM.