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

Pennsylvania State MapElection Update

Pennsylvania held its primary elections yesterday (Tuesday, May 18).  Unofficial results show that the state’s voters approved two ballot questions that amend the state’s constitution and significantly curtail the governor’s authority to sustain an emergency disaster declaration:  one that would permit the General Assembly to terminate a disaster declaration by a simple majority vote in both chambers and another that would limit the duration of a disaster declaration to 21 days and require a simple majority vote by the General Assembly to extend it beyond that time.  Both questions were strongly opposed by Governor Wolf, who argued that the involvement of the General Assembly would limit the state’s ability to be flexible and respond in a timely manner to a disaster. The immediate impact of the ballot questions is unclear but a number of regulatory waivers and flexibilities are tied to the current COVID-19 disaster declaration.  The amendments cannot take effect until the election results are certified, which could take until early June.

Yesterday’s elections also included special elections to fill several vacant seats in the legislature, with Republicans apparently retaining two seats in the state House.  Republican Leslie Rossi is leading her Democratic opponent to replace the late Rep. Mike Reese and Republican Abby Majors will most likely succeed her former boss, Rep. Jeff Pyle, who retired due to health concerns earlier this spring.

Department of Health

Pennsylvania has adopted the new CDC standard for when people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do and do not need to wear masks and need to seek COVID-19 testing if they believe they have been exposed to someone with the virus.  See the Department of Health’s announcement of this policy.

At the same time, however, the Department of Health reminded Pennsylvanians that while fully vaccinated individuals may choose not to wear a mask, businesses or organizations, such as schools, still have the option of requiring visitors to wear masks.  This is consistent with CDC guidance.

Department of Health – by the numbers

  • The daily number of new COVID-19 cases continues its decline of the past two to three weeks.
  • The number of COVID-19 deaths is showing signs of declining but much more slowly.
  • For the week from May 7 through May 13, the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate was 5.3 percent, down from 6.6 last week and 7.6 percent the week before.
  • Twelve counties had a positivity rate lower than five percent, as was the case last week, and no counties had a positivity rate greater than 20 percent for the fourth consecutive week.
  • Four counties are currently experiencing low levels of community transmission of COVID-19, two more than last week; 41 counties are experiencing moderate levels of community transmission, up from 25 last week and 20 two weeks ago; and 22 counties are currently experiencing substantial levels of community transmission, down from 40 counties last week and 44 the week before.
  • The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19 has fallen 39 percent since May 1; the number in hospital ICUs has fallen 35 percent since May 1; and the number on ventilators because of COVID-19 has fallen 20 percent since May 1.
  • 4.3 million Pennsylvanians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.  Another 634,000 have been vaccinated in Philadelphia as of Monday, May 17.

Department of Human Services

DHS has issued a Medical Assistance Bulletin adding two new COVID-19 antigen test codes to the MA program fee schedule effective with dates of service on or after November 2, 2020.  Find the bulletin here.

Department of State

In recent months Pennsylvania authorized health care professionals who do not ordinarily administer vaccines to people under the age of 18 to administer COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 16 years of age and older.  Now, consistent with recent federal approval for individuals 12 and older to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of State has expanded this authorization so that the same health care professionals can now administer COVID-19 vaccines to people as young as 12 years old.  See the Department of State announcement waiving the current vaccination limits.

Around the State

  • About one-quarter of Pennsylvanians do not intend to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Penn State Harrisburg Center for Survey Research poll.  WITF offers details.
  • Nearly a week after the CDC changed its guidance on the use of masks and the state followed suit, Philadelphia has announced that people no longer need to wear masks outdoors but will continue to be required to wear them indoors until at least June 11, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • SEPTA, the Philadelphia-area regional transit organization, is lifting its capacity limits on trains and buses but passengers still must wear masks, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
  • The same Inquirer article notes that Hersheypark has lifted its mask mandate but two other popular amusement parks, Sesame Place and Six Flags, have not.
  • Governor Wolf has received his second COVID-19 shot (Moderna).  His office’s news release includes a photo.
  • The state legislature is considering a bill that would permit parents to choose for their children to repeat a grade in school because of the challenge posed by remote learning, Bucks Local News reports.