The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania’s state government as of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23.

Governor Wolf

Governor Wolf has issued an executive order about regulatory relief post-COVID-19, calling on state agencies to recommend actions to reduce or eliminate regulatory impediments to economic, health and safety, and employment recovery.  The order, directed at all departments, offices, boards, commissions, and councils under the governor’s jurisdiction, applies to all regulatory statutes or parts thereof temporarily suspended under 35 Pa. C.S. § 7301(f) from March 6, 2020 to the present and to all regulations or parts thereof temporarily suspended under 35 Pa. C.S. § 7301(f) from March 6, 2020 to the present.  Agencies that suspended regulations are directed to evaluate the legal, administrative, public health and safety, and fiscal effects of maintaining the suspensions outside of the COVID-19 disaster emergency; to recommend whether the suspension should be made permanent and which regulations should lapse after COVID-19; and to outline the actions necessary to make permanent any recommended changes.  The agencies are directed to complete this work by May 4.  To learn more, see the governor’s executive order in the April 24, 2021 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin, pages 9 and 10 (pages 2259 and 2260 in the bulletin).

Department of Health

The Department of Health has updated its alert explaining its decision to follow federal guidance and temporarily direct providers to stop administering the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine.  Changes are highlighted in yellow.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The daily number of new COVID-19 cases, while still very high, has fallen slightly in the past week.
• The number of COVID-19 deaths, which had been declining even amid rising case counts, has been much higher over the past two weeks.For the week from April 9 through April 16 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate was 9.6 percent, up slightly from 9.5 percent last week.Four counties currently have a positivity rate lower than five percent, down from seven last week and 10 the week before; only one county has a rate greater than 20 percent, the same situation as the past two weeks.Three counties are currently experiencing low levels of community transmission of COVID-19, the same as last week but down from five the week before that; nine counties are experiencing moderate levels of community transmission, down from 14 last week and 17 the week before; and 55 counties are currently experiencing substantial levels of community transmission, up from 50 counties last week and 45 the week before.
• The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19, in hospital ICUs because of COVID-19, and on ventilators because of COVID-19 is slightly higher than it was a week ago but is down over the past three days.
• Currently, 17 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 14 percent of medical/surgical beds, 11 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 22 percent of pediatric beds, and 33 percent of airborne isolation units.
• Pennsylvania passed the three million mark for fully vaccinated residents today according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.  An additional 471,000 people have been vaccinated in Philadelphia, according to the city’s Department of Health.

Department of Human Services

On March 15 the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) raised Medicare payments for administering each dose of COVID-19 vaccines to $40.  Now, DHS has decided to raise the Medicaid fee to the same $40, effective March 15.  Go here to see the Medical Assistance Bulletin announcing the fee increase.

Around the State

• PennLive reports that the state Senate has extended its temporary rule enabling senators to participate in the chamber’s proceedings remotely during the COVID-19 emergency.  A previous extension expired on March 31 and this one lasts until May 31.
• Acting Department of Health Secretary Alison Beam received her first COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.  She tweeted a photo.
• Demand for COVID-19 vaccines is not strong in pockets of Pennsylvania, including Erie, according to the Erie Times-News; in the Pittsburgh area, as reported by KDKA; in Bradford, Lebanon, York, and Adams counties and parts of Dauphin, Mifflin, and Lycoming counties, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer; and in Philadelphia, Philly Voice reports.
• In response to declining demand for vaccines and the continuing challenge of vaccinating hard-to-reach people, the state intends to re-engage with the kinds of smaller providers, like neighborhood pharmacies and physician offices, that it cut off from vaccine supplies early in the year amid a change of direction in which it focused on working with larger providers that could vaccinate more people in shorter periods of time.  The AP explains.

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania state government as of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16^th.

Department of Health

• Early in the week The Department of Health notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers to stop administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine until at least April 20 following the recommendation to do so from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration.  On Thursday it extended this pause until April 24.
• The Department of Health also issued an alert to providers conveying the same message.  The alert outlines the medical rationale for the decision and advises providers on symptoms to monitor among patients who have received this vaccine.  Find that alert here.
• The Department of Health has made public data shared by skilled nursing facilities through last month’s mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Needs Assessment survey.  Data may be downloaded here by facility and by county.  These rates will serve as a benchmark and the survey will be conducted quarterly, with the next survey at the end of June.  The statewide average facility vaccination rate for residents was 78.84 percent and for staff/contractors was 52.64 percent.
• The Department of Health published its vaccine strategy for long-term-care facilities, which includes three group purchasing organizations (GeriMed, Innovatix, and Managed Health Care Associates, Inc.) and CVS/Omnicare that will supply eligible long-term-care pharmacies with vaccine allocations that may be requested by long-term-care facilities as additional needs arise.
• The Department of Health reports that in March its nursing home surveyors conducted 570 inspections, including 283 complaint investigations of 396 separate nursing homes.  Of these, 244 were COVID-19-specific investigations.  Learn more about recent nursing home surveys, investigations, and vaccine efforts from this Department of Health news release.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The daily number of new COVID-19 cases has risen sharply over the past four days:  the highest four-day total since January.
• The number of COVID-19 deaths, which had been declining even amid rising case counts, has risen sharply in the past four days as well.
• For the week from April 2 through April 8 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate remained the same 9.5 percent it was last week, halting a three-week rise in this important measure.
• Seven counties currently have a positivity rate lower than five percent, down from 10 last week and 17 counties the week before; only one county has a rate greater than 20 percent, the same situation as last week.
• Three counties are currently experiencing low levels of community transmission of COVID-19, down from five last week and six the week before that; 14 counties are experiencing moderate levels of community transmission, down from 17 last week and 26 the week before; and 50 counties are currently experiencing substantial levels of community transmission, up from 46 counties last week and 35 the week before.
• The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen 25 percent since April 1; the number in hospital ICUs because of COVID-19 has risen 28 percent since April 1; and the number on ventilators because of COVID-19 has risen 26 percent since April 1.
• Currently, 18 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 12 percent of medical/surgical beds, 11 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 22 percent of pediatric beds, and 32 percent of airborne isolation units.
• Pennsylvania passed the 2.5 million mark of vaccinated residents yesterday and according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, more than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  An additional 438,000 people have been vaccinated in Philadelphia, according to the city’s Department of Public Health.

Around the State

• Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler has tested positive for COVID-19, is experiencing mild symptoms, and is recovering and quarantining at home.  The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports on Cutler’s illness and its implications for state House operations.
• The state Senate will consider extending a temporary rule that permits members to participate in the chamber’s deliberations remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to PennLive.
• Delaware County has begun offering COVID-19 vaccines to high school students who are 16 years of age and older.  The Delaware County Times tells the story.
• Driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lancaster city’s council has joined several other Lancaster County municipalities in expressing interest in the county creating its own health department, Lancaster Online reports.
• Even though Westmoreland County has been hit hard by COVID-19, an area health system reports that vaccine appointments are going unfilled, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• After intervention by members of Philadelphia’s congressional delegation, the FEMA mass vaccination site in the city’s Pennsylvania Convention Center, scheduled to close after April 26, will remain open for an additional month.  WHYY tells the story.
• Philadelphia’s health commissioner received his own COVID-19 vaccine; The Philadelphia Inquirer offers instant replay via Twitter.  Governor Wolf will receive his next Monday.
• St. Luke’s University Health Network has launched a COVID-19 recovery clinic for COVID-19 long-haulers, according to the Allentown Morning Call.
• Next Monday, Berks County will introduce a hotline for people who are struggling to find vaccine appointments.  The Reading Eagle provides the details.

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania state government as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 12^th.

Governor Wolf

Effective Tuesday, April 13, all Pennsylvania adults will be eligible to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.  This is six days earlier than the administration previously stated.  Learn more from this Wolf administration news release.  The announcement does not affect the city of Philadelphia, which intends to follow to its plan to broaden eligibility next Monday, April 19.

Department of Health

• The Department of Health has updated its infection prevention and control recommendations for health care settings that was last revised in September of 2020.  Changes and additions are noted in red throughout the document.
• The Department of Health has announced a partnership with Latino Connection and Highmark Blue Shield to launch the first statewide COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinic tour to provide vaccinations and education targeting minority and underserved communities.  The program will include mobile units to conduct a statewide vaccination and education tour; a Facebook page to register for vaccines; and 100 events in corner stores and bodegas where individuals who do not have access to the internet, or who are in need of assistance, can pre-register for vaccines.  Learn more from this Department of Health news release.
• The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and Department of Health announced the opening of a regional vaccination clinic on Penn State’s University Park campus in Centre County.  Initially this site is expected to administer 600 doses a day.  Go here for information on location, hours, and how to sign up for vaccines.
• The Department of Health has established a new free COVID-19 test site in Monroe County.  The site will be open through April 18.  For information about hours and location, go here.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The daily number of new COVID-19 cases has risen in the past two months and remains high.
• Despite the rising number of new COVID-19 cases, daily death totals continue to decline and have been in single digits for four of the past nine days.
• For the week from April 2 through April 8 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate remained the same 9.5 percent it was last week, halting a three-week rise in this important measure.
• The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19, in hospital ICUs because of COVID-19, and on ventilators because of COVID-19 all continue to rise slightly.
• Currently, 19 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 16 percent of medical/surgical beds, 12 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 26 percent of pediatric beds, and 35 percent of airborne isolation units.
• According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, 2.4 million Pennsylvanians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and an additional 363,000 people have been vaccinated in Philadelphia, according to the city’s Department of Public Health.

Department of Human Services

DHS has announced that the state will work with Walgreens to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to staff and residents of congregate care settings licensed by DHS that were not part of the federal Pharmacy Partnership Program.  This program is expected to vaccinate approximately 2200 people living at 100 facilities through mid-April.  Learn more from this DHS news release.

Around the State

• Allegheny County has opened its first COVID-19 clinic in the Mon Valley, according to WESA radio.  It is expected to administer up to 200 vaccines a day and will focus on people facing barriers to access to care.
• Demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Erie County has fallen and fewer people are struggling to schedule appointments, the Erie Times-News reports.
• FEMA’s mass vaccination clinic at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia is scheduled to close on April 26 and four members of the state’s congressional delegation are asking the White House to keep it open.  Currently the clinic is administering about 6000 vaccines a day, making it the single largest provider of vaccines in the city.  The Philadelphia Inquirer tells the story.
• The Billy Penn web site features a map and a list detailing more than 200 sites in Philadelphia where people can get COVID-19 vaccines.  Most are by appointment only, and the site also features information about different ways to search for vaccine appointments.

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania’s state government as of 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31.

Department of Health

• The Department of Health announced an initiative to vaccinate targeted industry workers and accelerate the vaccination timetable for people in Phases 1B, 1C, and 2.  All Pennsylvanians will be eligible to schedule vaccination appointments beginning April 19.  The new timetable is as follows:
  • March 31 – workers in four previously targeted industries:  law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store workers, and food and agriculture workers.
  • April 5 – all residents in Phase 1B will be eligible to start scheduling vaccinations.
  • April 12 – all residents in Phase 1C will be eligible to start scheduling vaccinations.
  • April 19 – all residents will be eligible to start scheduling vaccinations.

Learn more from this Department of Health news release.  Also, the city of Philadelphia quickly announced that it will not be following this timeline; see a news report here.

• The Department of Health updated its interim guidance for skilled nursing facilities during COVID-19 with revisions to align with visitation guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), guidance for on-site beauty and barber shops, resources for providers, and information on the Secretary of Health’s order regarding a vaccine needs assessment survey that was due March 23, 2021.
• The Department of Health has updated its quick start guide addressing changes in the COVID-19 event reporting system that were made on March 24, 2021.  Find the updated instructions here.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The daily number of new COVID-19 cases has risen over the past two-and-half weeks.  Yesterday’s total was the highest single-day figure in two months.
• Despite the rising number of new COVID-19 cases the daily death totals are not rising.  Over the weekend Pennsylvania surpassed 25,000 deaths from COVID-19.
• For the week from March 19 through March 25 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate was 7.6 percent, up from 6.5 percent last week.  This is the second consecutive week the state’s positivity rate has risen.
• Seventeen counties currently have a positivity rate lower than five percent and none have a rate greater than 20 percent.
• Six counties are currently experiencing low levels of community transmission of COVID-19, 26 counties are experiencing moderate levels of community transmission, and 35 counties – more than half of the state’s 67 counties – are currently experiencing substantial levels of community transmission.
• In the past two weeks the number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen 43 percent; the number being treated for COVID-19 on ventilators has risen 26 percent; and the number being treated in hospital ICUs has risen 47 percent.
• Currently, 20 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 16 percent of medical/surgical beds, seven percent of pediatric ICU beds, 22 percent of pediatric beds, and 35 percent of airborne isolation units.
• As of March 31 the state’s vaccine dashboard shows that more than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians are now fully vaccinated.  This number does not include Philadelphia, which operates a separate COVID-19 vaccination program.
• The vaccine dashboard shows vaccine totals by county.
• Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health reports that as of March 31, 267,000 Philadelphians are fully vaccinated.

Department of Community and Economic Development

The Department of Community and Economic Development has introduced a new, weekly newsletter with the latest information from the state about COVID-19 vaccines.  To subscribe to the “Unite Against COVID Weekly Update” newsletter, go here.

Department of State

Late last year the Department of State granted an extension of 90 days for certain license renewal deadlines for licensees under the Board of Medicine.  With licensees now having difficulty meeting the March 31 deadline, the department has granted an additional 30 days to renew all licenses under the Board of Medicine that were set to expire on December 31, 2020 and have not yet been renewed.  The new deadline is April 30, 2021, and while renewal fees have been waived, the requirement to renew licenses has not.  The Department of State says this will be the final extension for these licenses.  Learn more from this Department of State announcement.

Around the State

• The Eagles Autism Foundation and Divine Providence Village, a residential facility in Delaware County for people with intellectual disabilities, hosted a vaccination clinic last weekend at Lincoln Financial Field for people with autism who are 18 years of age or older.  Another such clinic is being planned for late April.  Learn more from this Philadelphia Inquirer article.
• The Scranton Times-Tribune has published a map showing vaccination rates, by county, for seniors ages 65 and older.  Find it here.
• Next week FEMA will open its second vaccination site in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
• State Representative Brian Smith (Jefferson, Indiana) has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely for the next two weeks as he recovers and quarantines, according to the web site WeAreCentralPA.com.
• Chester County’s health department has launched a new system for registering for COVID-19 vaccines.  Individuals who are already registered with the county and who are currently eligible for vaccines will receive emails inviting them to contact the county to schedule their vaccination in one of 88,000 appointment slots that will be available over the next 12 weeks.  The Chester County Daily Local News provides the details.
• Two Westmoreland County commissioners are hosting an informational session in which participants will learn about the science behind the COVID-19 vaccines so they can make informed decisions about whether to get vaccinated, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.  The science discussion will be led by a University of Pittsburgh professor of medicine who specializes in infectious diseases.
• Which members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation have received COVID-19 vaccines and which have not?  The Pennsylvania Capital-Star took roll call and presents the results.
• If Philadelphia’s COVID-19 case count continues to rise the city’s health commissioner says he may reinstate some past restrictions, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

PA Health Alert Network

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania’s state government as of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 26.

Governor Wolf

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Gov. Tom Wolf indicated Thursday the state might move straight to opening eligibility to all adults by May 1, as President Joe Biden directed, and skip over phases 1B and 1C, which include different tiers of essential workers.

Asked when the state would move to 1B, the governor said Biden’s plan “sort of throws out the whole 1A, 1B, 1C thing.”

Department of Health

• Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam signed an amended order stating that “certain vaccine providers” must work with local Area Agencies on Aging and Medical Assistance managed care organizations to schedule vaccines for adults eligible in Phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan.  The order also requires these providers to have the ability to schedule appointments for individuals into the future.  Under this order, a vaccine provider that informs a Phase 1A individual that no appointments are available may be subject to enforcement.  The order also requires providers to continue to ensure that appointments can be scheduled both by phone and by using online scheduling systems.  The order requires vaccine providers to schedule appointments as far in advance as necessary to ensure that appointments are made for individuals in Phase 1A and they are prohibited from including messages on websites or by phone that no appointments are available.  For further information, consult the following resources:
  • a Department of Health news release announcing the order
  • the amended order
  • an FAQ on the order
  • a Wolf administration news release on the same subject
• The Department of Health issued quarantine recommendations for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies.  This does not apply to health care facility patients, residents, and staff.
• The Department of Health updated its event reporting system that health care facilities use to report positive COVID-19 test results and deaths involving residents and staff.  The system will now allow for manual addition of records and spreadsheet uploads.  It also clarified that if a resident or staff member tests positive 90 days after a previous positive test, a new record should be entered into the system.  If they test positive within 90 days of a previous positive test, this information should not be entered as a new record.  A quick start guide can be found here and further instructions here.
• The Department of Health is establishing a new, long-term, free indoor walk-in COVID-19 testing site for the general public in Centre County from March 30 through May 1.  Go here for information about location and hours.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The daily number of new COVID-19 cases has risen over the past ten days.  Today’s total was the highest single-day total since January 30 and the figures in the preceding days also were higher than in the recent past.
• Yesterday the state surpassed one million cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, meaning that nearly eight percent of the state’s population has contracted the disease.
• Despite the rising number of new COVID-19 cases the daily death totals are not rising.  Nearly 25,000 Pennsylvanians have now died from COVID-19.
• More than 82,268 residents and employees in 1574 long-term-care facilities in all 67 Pennsylvania counties have contracted COVID-19.  12,904 of those residents have died – nearly 52 percent of the state’s death total but a declining proportion in comparison to the earlier months of the pandemic.
• More than 26,000 health care workers in the state have contracted COVID-19.
• For the week from March 12 through March 18 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate was 6.5 percent, up from 5.7 percent last week.
• The numbers of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19, in hospital ICUs with COVID-19, and on ventilators being treated for COVID-19 have been rising for the past ten days.
• Currently, 21 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 15 percent of medical/surgical beds, nine percent of pediatric ICU beds, 22 percent of pediatric beds, and 34 percent of airborne isolation units.
• As of March 26 the state’s vaccine dashboard shows that more 1.5 million Pennsylvanians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 1.7 million have received both doses of a vaccine.  These numbers do not include Philadelphia, which operates its own COVID-19 vaccination program.
• The vaccine dashboard shows vaccine totals by county.
• Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health reports that as of March 26, nearly 290,000 Philadelphians have been partially vaccinated and more than 200,000 have been fully vaccinated.

Department of Human Services

• DHS has issued a Medical Assistance Bulletin informing participating providers about the addition of CPT codes M0239 and M0243 to the MA Program Fee Schedule for the administration of unapproved monoclonal antibody therapies for treatment of the COVID-19 effective November 9, 2020 and November 21,2020, respectively.
• At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS and its Office of Long-Term Living requested and received approval from the federal government to address potential staffing shortages in several of its programs and the need for service provision not included in approved service descriptions to ensure that participant health and safety needs could be accommodated for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.  In the wake of the continued persistence of the pandemic, DHS submitted requests to the federal government seeking to extend the effective dates of these waivers.  The federal government has approved these requests.  These actions were taken for three programs:  the state’s Act 150 program, its OBRA and Community HealthChoices (CHC) 1915(c) waivers, and its Community HealthChoices section1915(c) waivers.  DHS has published explanations describing each of these waivers along with its plans for phasing them out as the COVID-19 emergency abates.  Learn more from the following resources:
  • Act 150 – temporary changes
  • Act 150 – plan to phase out changes
  • OBRA and Community HealthChoices (CHC) 1915(c) waivers – temporary changes
  • OBRA and Community HealthChoices (CHC) 1915(c) waivers – plan to phase out changes
  • Community HealthChoices OBRA section1915(c) waiver – temporary changes
  • Community HealthChoices section1915(c) waiver – plan to phase out changes
• DHS has issued guidance addressing regulatory compliance with tuberculin skin testing requirements after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination.
• DHS’s Office of Long-Term Living has asked organizations that can be helpful in the effort to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines to complete an Equitable Vaccination Options survey.

Department of State

While the Department of State has already authorized pharmacists to delegate authority to administer COVID-19 vaccinations under their supervision to a number of other types of licensed health care professionals, it has now extended that authorization to others who have been authorized or made eligible to administer COVID-19 vaccinations by way of state or federal government action, including the March 10, 2020 declaration and subsequent amendments issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the PREP Act.  See the latest Department of State notice here.

Around the State

• Allegheny County will introduce a new vaccine registration system next week, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
• The county also is expanding eligibility at its own sites to everyone in group IA, adding people between the ages of 50 and 64 with certain medical conditions.  The Tribune-Review explains.
• Amid rising case counts, Allegheny County public health officials are advising residents to continue to observe mitigation recommendations, according to KDKA.
• Berks County commissioners heard a similar message from their emergency services director during their recent public meeting, WFMZ reports.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

PA Health Alert Network

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ