Centre County adds 47 new COVID-19 cases, and other updates for Sept. 23
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Benner prison inmates, State College woman accused of fraudulently seeking unemployment aid
Nine Benner state prison inmates and a State College woman were accused Wednesday of improperly obtaining more than $100,000 from COVID-19 relief applications.
Adele Moore, of State College, and inmate James Neff-Zonge were identified by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro as ringleaders of a group that provided false information on COVID-19 unemployment benefit applications.
The scheme that operated from Benner state prison began after Moore successfully applied for about $10,125 in unemployment benefits on behalf of inmate Jacob Snook, of Bellefonte, Shapiro said in a written statement.
- by Bret Pallotto
Centre County adds 47 cases of COVID-19
Centre County reported 47 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the state Department of Health said, to bring the total to 2,078 (2,013 confirmed and 65 probable) since March 20. All but three of the new cases are confirmed. There have been 24,018 negative tests.
Two patients are hospitalized in Centre County due to COVID-19, according to the state dashboard. That’s up one from the previous few days.
The breakdown of Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the Health Department:
- 16801 (State College): 1,295 confirmed (31 new cases), 28 probable (1 new case)
- 16802 (University Park): 279 (9 new cases), 1-4 probable
- 16803 (State College): 128 (3 new cases), 9 probable (2 new cases)
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 85 (1 new case), 10 probable
- 16686 (Tyrone): 34, 1-4 probable
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 26, 0 probable
- 16841 (Howard): 26, 1-4 probable
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 26, 1-4 probable
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 25 (1 fewer case), 1-4 probable
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 25, 0 probable
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 15, 1-4 probable
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 12, 0 probable
- 16851 (Lemont): 9, 0 probable
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 8, 1-4 probable
- 16853 (Milesburg): 7, 0 probable
- 16844 (Julian): 6, 0 probable
- 16854 (Millheim): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 5, 1-4 probable
- 16845 (Karthaus): 5, 0 probable
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5, 0 probable
- 16877 (Warriors Mark): 5, 0 probable
- 16804, 16826, 16829, 16832, 16852, 16856, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16882: 1-4 cases each
The state does not provide 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.
Pennsylvania added 898 new cases Wednesday to bring the state total to 152,544. There have been 1.79 million negative tests, and an estimated 81% of patients have recovered. Statewide, there have been 8,062 deaths, including 39 new fatalities. The state continues to count 11 Centre County deaths related to COVID-19.
The age breakdown of patients who tested positive across Pennsylvania is:
- Approximately 1% are 0-4
- Nearly 2% are 5-12
- Approximately 4% are 13-18
- Nearly 13% are 19-24
- Approximately 36% are 25-49
- Nearly 22% are 50-64
- Nearly 22% are 65 or older
- by Matt Hymowitz
PA schools allowing more sports fans after court ruling
Some Pennsylvania school districts are permitting more fans in the stands in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that tossed statewide pandemic limits on crowd size, while legislative Republicans prepared Wednesday to renew their push to enshrine local control of school sports into law.
The state Department of Education has asked schools to voluntarily comply with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s since-invalidated gathering restrictions, which had been set at 25 indoors and 250 outdoors until last week’s court ruling that such limits were unconstitutional.
The Wolf administration is appealing that ruling, but a number of districts have already opted to go their own way, including the Altoona Area School District, which will allow up to 3,400 spectators at Mansion Park Stadium -- 33% of its capacity -- for Friday’s game against Cumberland Valley.
- The Associated Press
More inmates accused of fraudulently seeking jobless checks
Eighteen inmates in Pennsylvania state prisons and two girlfriends of inmates on the outside have been charged in what authorities describe as a scheme to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits for ineligible prisoners, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The 20 sets of charges were announced by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro a month after prosecutors disclosed the investigation into illegal applications for unemployment compensation benefits that were temporarily enhanced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The inmates charged this week have been incarcerated at the Benner, Mahanoy and Phoenix state prisons, located near State College, in Schuylkill County and in the Philadelphia suburbs, respectively.
- The Associated Press
Leading infectious disease researchers to talk COVID-19 as part of Discovery Space event
Two infectious disease researchers are set to anchor an online, interactive discussion Thursday about the new coronavirus.
Discovery Space’s Night to Discover speaker series is scheduled to begin about 7 p.m. The event is free, but viewers are required to register.
- CDT staff reports
CATA plans service changes in October
The Centre Area Transportation Authority will temporarily end service on several routes next month due to low ridership during the pandemic. As of Oct. 5, service will be halted on the A (Park Forest), B (Boalsburg), C (Houserville), F (Pine Grove), G (Grays Woods), S (Science Park), XB (Bellefonte) and XG (Pleasant Gap) routes.
Riders who rely on those routes are asked to contact CATA at 238-CATA, ext. 7500, to discuss their transportation needs.
Starting Oct. 5, CATAGo will provide service to Pleasant Gap from 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Friday. CATAGo already runs from 6 a.m.-11 p..m. Monday-Friday in Bellefonte and 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays in Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap. The added service will provide access to county services, the courthouse and the PennDOT driver’s license center where no other public transportation would be available.
There are no changes planned at this time to CATARide.
- by Matt Hymowitz
Planning to vote in person this November? Some voting precincts have changed
A record turnout is expected for the November general, which has local elections staff preparing for an influx of voters while making participation secure and accessible.
More than 26,000 Centre County voters are expected to skip the polls on Nov. 3 and vote by mail instead, but those casting their ballot in person should anticipate some changes this fall, including consolidated polling places and a potential satellite elections office.
The Centre County Board of Elections met Tuesday and approved the temporary relocation of six voting precincts. The changes were made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide mitigation efforts.
- by Marley Parish
Penn State adds 294 more COVID-19 cases at University Park since last update, boosts total to 1,666
For the fifth straight COVID-19 dashboard update, Penn State has added more than 200 new coronavirus cases to its overall count.
According to data from the dashboard, which is updated twice weekly, the University Park campus has added 294 new cases since Friday’s update, bringing the total number of infected to 1,666. (Some 1,053 cases are no longer active, according to university estimates.)
From Friday to Sunday, 68 students tested positive for the virus out of the 231 on-demand tests with results, while one student tested positive out of the 592 random-screened tests with results. Some 364 on-demand tests since Aug. 28 still have results pending, while another 389 overall random-screened tests are pending.
- by Josh Moyer
Senate OKs bill to loosen virus limits on restaurants, bars
Legislation to loosen Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions on Pennsylvania’s bars and restaurants easily passed the state Senate on Tuesday.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 43 to 6 for a bill that would end the requirement that customers buy food in order to purchase alcohol and would permit patrons to be served drinks at the bar.
It also would permit taverns and restaurants to operate at 50% capacity, or more if they can meet state and federal social distancing standards or erect appropriate barriers, and make it easier for restaurants to adapt adjacent outside areas to serve customers.
- The Associated Press
Judge declines to stay ruling on Pennsylvania crowd size
A federal judge on Tuesday declined to stay his own ruling that Gov. Tom Wolf’s size limits on gatherings are unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV said the administration had failed to show “imminent and irreparable harm will occur” if the state can’t limit event crowds to 25 people inside and 250 people outside.
State officials had asked Stickman, an appointee of President Donald Trump, to delay enforcement of his ruling while they appeal.
- The Associated Press
Campus check-in
- The postponed football game between No. 7 Notre Dame and Wake Forest will be moved to Dec. 12, while the Demon Deacons also are moving their nonconference game against Campbell a week earlier to Oct. 2. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the revisions Wednesday.
Ohio State’s athletic department will cut 25 jobs, furlough hundreds of other employees and ask coaches and others to take 5% pay cuts to help grapple with a projected $107 million budget deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletic director Gene Smith said Wednesday.
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This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 10:10 AM.