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

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania’s state government as of 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24.

Department of Health

The Department of Health announced that beginning Tuesday, March 23, a week-long free drive-through COVID-19 testing site will open for the general public in Luzerne County.  Go here for information about the 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 since February 5 and the figures in the preceding days were also higher than in the recent past.
• Despite the rising number of new COVID-19 cases the daily death totals are not rising.
• 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.
• Five counties are now considered to be in low levels of community transmission:  Cameron, Forest, Fulton, Potter, and Sullivan counties.
• 37 counties are in moderate levels of community transmission:  Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Clarion, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.
• 25 counties are still in substantial levels of community transmission:  Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, and York.
• 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 week.
• Currently, 21 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 15 percent of medical/surgical beds, 10 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 25 percent of pediatric beds, and 35 percent of airborne isolation units.
• As of March 24 the state’s vaccine dashboard shows that more 1.4 million Pennsylvanians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 1.6 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 24, 638,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the city:  464,000 first doses and 174,000 second doses.

Department of Human Services

Teresa Miller has resigned as DHS Secretary effective April 30.  Governor Wolf has nominated Meg Snead, currently his Secretary of Policy and Planning, to replace her.

DHS has issued a Medical Assistance Bulletin informing providers that effective June 1, 2021, it will reinstate provider revalidation requirements as applicable prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency.  See the DHS announcement here.

Department of State

The Department of State has again expanded its list of health care professionals who may administer COVID-19 vaccines under appropriate supervision.

General Assembly

• House Bill 649 was unanimously passed by the House this afternoon. This legislation requires the Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, to establish protocols to permit an essential caregiver to provide in-person physical and emotional support to a congregate care facility resident during a declaration of disaster emergency. The provisions of the bill are applicable beginning 15 days after a declaration of disaster emergency is issued and remain in effect until 60 days after the declaration is terminated. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.
• House Bill 63 was also passed by the House this afternoon. This legislation permits an individual who has been authorized to administer a COVID-19 vaccine by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to administer vaccines in Pennsylvania. It also requires the Department of Health to publish specific county-level COVID-19 vaccine data, including vaccine dose allocations and eligible populations, and a description of the Department’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation formula to the Department’s website. Lastly, this legislation requires, in certain counties, the Department of Health to deliver doses of COVID-19 vaccine that are intended for a mass vaccination site to the county health department in which the mass vaccination site is to be held. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Around the State

• The Allegheny County council postponed its public meeting this week “due to a covid outbreak amongst council members and staff,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Philadelphia will cancel appointments for as many as 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines scheduled to be administered at its FEMA mass vaccination site in the next three weeks after it discovered that they were scheduled by people improperly using the program’s digital appointment system – a problem the city previously identified and thought it had fixed.  The Philadelphia Inquirer tells the story.
• Where are the new COVID-19 hot spots in Pennsylvania?  The Philadelphia Inquirer offers the details and a map.
• According to Philly Voice, “Because Philadelphia is seeing a steady increase in new cases of COVID-19 – and, recently, an uptick in hospitalizations – city officials said Tuesday they will not be further relaxing COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants and large outdoor events when the rest of Pennsylvania does so in less than two weeks.”  Go here for further details.
• The state will establish mass vaccination sites in two of the four suburban counties surrounding Philadelphia.  The Philadelphia Inquirer explains that it will be doing so over the objections of the leaders of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.

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 2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 22.

Department of Health

• The Department of Health has amended the state’s universal face coverings order to align with updated federal CDC guidelines.  The amended order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on March 17, 2021 and will remain in effect until further notice.  The new state order addresses activities that fully vaccinated people can resume now, as low risk to themselves, while being mindful of the potential risk of transmitting the virus to others.  For further information, see the following resources:
  • the Department of Health announcement of the new policy
  • the amended Department of Health order
  • the updated CDC guidelines
• The Department of Health has outlined temporary plans to get more COVID-19 vaccine to Pennsylvanians and improve transparency and technical resources online.  According to officials, “Starting the week of March 22, a focused network of 200-300 providers can expect to see more first doses of vaccine arriving and will be assured of a steady supply for the next several weeks.”  In addition:

The temporarily focused network of providers was selected following an extensive review, which included a survey of all providers and mapping out an initial view of the provider network to receive focused allocations of first vaccine doses over the next few weeks. Providers were selected based on:

• geographic reach,
• access for residents,
• equity across demographics,
• vaccine throughput, and
• estimated demand.

The selection process took into account the ability to administer a high volume of first doses within seven days of delivery while maintaining equity across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines as well as the ability to capture and report vaccine administration data within 24 hours. 

The temporarily narrowed network of vaccine providers is designed to reach people with different needs and preferences using a mix of provider types, including:

• hospitals,
• pharmacies,
• Federally Qualified Health Centers, and
• public health providers.

Learn more from a Department of Health news release.

That same March 19 news release states that

As proof that the pace of vaccinations is accelerating, yesterday the CDC ranked Pennsylvania number two in the nation for the number of doses administered per 100,000 residents over the past seven days.

• The Secretary of Health has issued an order requiring all skilled nursing facilities to complete an initial vaccine needs assessment via an online survey form.  The survey must be completed by 12:00 a.m. on March 23, 2021 and will be used to inform additional COVID-19 vaccine support efforts.
• The Department of Health has issued a health advisory on the importance of developing travel history collection procedures that include elements specific to the risk of highly transmissible health care-associated organisms such as COVID-19 and others.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen significantly since November and December but the decline has ended and the daily numbers now generally are higher than they have been in recent weeks.
• Despite the slightly rising number of new COVID-19 cases the daily death totals continue to decline.
• 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 all risen slightly in the past week.
• Currently, 24 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 21 percent of medical/surgical beds, 11 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 30 percent of pediatric beds, and 37 percent of airborne isolation units.
• As of March 22 the state’s vaccine dashboard shows that nearly 1.4 million Pennsylvanians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 1.5 million have received both doses of a vaccine; the latter increase is 19 percent in the past week.  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 20, 580,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the city:  419,000 first doses and 161,000 second doses.
• Thus, while the state has completed vaccination of approximately 13.4 percent of its non-Philadelphia population, Philadelphia has completed vaccination of only about ten percent of its population.

Around the State

• The Berks County COVID-19 Response Task Force has published a report on the county’s response to the pandemic.  WFMZ radio shares some of the report’s findings.  Find the report itself here.
• In separate stories, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on the Allegheny County Health Department’s expansion of its criteria for eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines and Excela Health’s opening of a clinic in an empty building in North Huntingdon (Westmoreland County) where it expects to give about 2000 vaccines a day.
• Philadelphia, too, has expanded eligibility for vaccines, as the Philadelphia Inquirer explains.
• Monday is the last day Philadelphia residents living in underserved zip codes can walk up and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at FEMA’s mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties are at odds with the Pennsylvania Department of Health over whether to establish a single mass vaccination site for the four counties or continue their current focus on local vaccination sites.  The Philadelphia Inquirer tells the story.
• Whether small pharmacies are engaged in administering vaccines appears to depend on where they are located.  While the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that “Small pharmacies ‘beyond frustrated’ as Pennsylvania locks them out of vaccine process,” the Philadelphia Inquirer notes that 300 miles away, “More Philly pharmacies are carrying COVID-19 vaccine, offering a welcome alternative.”

Department of Human Services

DHS has issued a Medical Assistance bulletin announcing the addition of CPT code M0245 for the use of the unapproved monoclonal antibody therapies bamlanivimab and etesevimab when administered together.  The medications have received emergency use authorization from the federal FDA.

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 the state and federal government as of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16.

Pennsylvania Update

Governor Wolf

• Governor Wolf announced that he is easing some of the state’s restrictions on businesses that were imposed to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.  Effective April 4, limits on participation will partially be eased for restaurants, bars, gyms, entertainment facilities (casinos, theaters, malls, personal service facilities), indoor facilities, and mass gatherings.  Mask and social distancing requirements will still apply.  Learn more from this Wolf administration news release.
• Governor Wolf and members of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced a bipartisan effort to complete COVID phase 1A vaccinations first, set up mass vaccination clinics with regionally supplied plans to inform allocations, and vaccinate frontline workers.  Learn more from a Wolf administration news release.
• The COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force created by Governor Wolf has announced subcommittees focused on key audiences and issues.  The new subcommittees are for aging, racial equity, business/workforce, and education, with subcommittee members representing stakeholders and advocates, state agencies, workers, academics, industry, and other interested parties.  Last week the task force announced a special initiative to vaccinate teachers, school staff, and child care workers.

Department of Human Services

• The Department of Human Services has issued a Medical Assistance bulletin about the addition of CPT code 0031A to the MA Program Fee Schedule, effective February 27, 2021, for the administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Biotech) vaccine.  This code is to be used by providers in both the fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems.
• DHS announced that Pennsylvania will expand its partnership with Rite Aid to vaccinate 9,000 individuals with physical disabilities and older Pennsylvanians participating in DHS’s home and community-based long-term services and supports program during vaccination clinics through March and April.

Department of Health

• Acting Secretary of Health Beam issued an order making March 31 the date by which all vaccine providers should have Phase 1A-eligible Pennsylvanians’ vaccine appointments scheduled.  See the Department of Health announcement and the department’s order.
• The same order also requires providers to make appointments with patients outside of their current patient network.
• The Department of Health announced that beginning on Tuesday, March 16, a long-term indoor walk-in COVID-19 testing site will open in Dauphin County.  Testing will be available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday until Saturday, April 10, with the opportunity to extend past that date based on need.  The testing site is located at Strawberry Square, 320 Market Street in Harrisburg.
• The Department of Health announced that beginning on Tuesday, March 16, a rotating drive-through and indoor walk-in COVID-19 testing site will open in Blair County.  Testing will be available daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, every Tuesday through Saturday, until Saturday, April 3, with the opportunity to extend past that date based on need.  Go here for information about the different sites and their hours of operation.
• The Department of Health has issued updated quarantine recommendations for persons exposed to COVID-19.  The update includes information both for individuals who are and who are not fully vaccinated.
• The Department of Health has updated work restrictions for health care workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 to clarify its post-exposure recommendations for exposures that occur outside of health care settings.
• The Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Department of Aging have jointly urged Pennsylvania long-term-care facilities to implement the new guidance for nursing home visitation established by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  Go here to see the joint announcement from the three state agencies and go here to see the new federal guidance.

Department of Health – by the numbers

• The number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen significantly since November and December but the decline has ended and the daily numbers are comparable to what they were a month ago.
• Today Pennsylvania’s total COVID-19 case count surpassed 970,000 – more than 7.5 percent of the state’s population.The daily death toll, too, while much less than it was in November and December, has only declined modestly the past two weeks.
• For the week from March 5 through March 11 the state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate fell to 5.7 percent, the same as last week.
• The numbers of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19 in hospital ICUs with COVID-19, and on ventilators being treated for COVID-19 has declined just slightly in the past week.
• Currently, 22 percent of adult ICU beds in the state are unoccupied, as are 17 percent of medical/surgical beds, 15 percent of pediatric ICU beds, 29 percent of pediatric beds, and 37 percent of airborne isolation units.
• As of March 16 the state’s vaccine dashboard shows that nearly 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 1.3 million have received both doses of a vaccine; the latter increase is 30 percent over the past six days.  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 16, 526,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the city:  380,000 first doses and 146,000 second doses.

Department of General Services

The Department of General Services announced that the state Capitol building will reopen to the public on March 22.  It closed to the public on December 10 amid rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Around the State

• Allegheny County will open three new vaccination sites by the end of the month, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Another Allegheny County site already opened, hosted by UPMC and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and staged at PPG Paints Arena, is now open and administering more than 1000 vaccines a day, the Tribune-Review notes.
• Federally funded health clinics, with their own groups of patients, are starting to get COVID-19 vaccines to more people of color, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
• The COVID-19 crisis is being credited with spurring a mental health crisis that is leading to long waits for care and a shortage of beds in Philadelphia-area hospitals and mental health facilities, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• York County has established a web site for residents to get information about COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and availability and more, the York Dispatch reports.
• The arrival of spring means allergy sufferers will again face seasonal symptoms that are similar in some ways to those for COVID-19.  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review consulted medical experts to help readers distinguish between the two.
• The Allentown Morning Call chronicles the challenges of finding and getting a COVID-19 vaccine in the Lehigh Valley.

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

Federal Update

White House

• The White House has posted a transcript of the March 15 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials.  During the briefing, White House officials noted that under to the American Rescue Plan (the COVID-19 relief bill), the federal government will now cover 100 percent of the cost for Medicaid and children’s health insurance beneficiaries to get vaccinated.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• CMS announced that it is increasing Medicare payments for administering COVID-19 vaccines.  Effective for COVID-19 vaccines administered on or after March 15, 2021, the national average payment rate for physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, and many other immunizers will be $40 to administer each dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.  This represents an increase from approximately $28 to $40 for the administration of single-dose vaccines and an increase from approximately $45 to $80 for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines requiring two doses.  The exact rate will depend on the type of entity furnishing the service and will be geographically adjusted.  Resources that provide additional information about this increase include:
  • CMS’s announcement of the new policy
  • updated billing codes for administering vaccines
  • a special edition of the online CMS publication MLN Connects, which also offers links to additional payment-related resources.
• CMS has issued a correction notice making changes in the telehealth list finalized in the Medicare physician fee schedule rule that affects providers that bill for evaluation and management services as part of those telehealth visits.  The notice explains that CMS “inadvertently included” CPT codes 99221, 99222, and 99223 in the table that represents the Category 3 temporary additions to the telehealth list through the end of 2021 or the year in which the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.  These are evaluation and management codes for initial hospital care (30, 50, 70+ minutes).  This does not affect the ability of providers to bill for these services during the public health emergency.
• CMS has released a fact sheet that outlines how the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – the COVID-19 relief bill – affects the health care marketplace, the cost of health insurance, and access to subsidized insurance made available through the Affordable Care Act.  Find that fact sheet here.
• CMS has introduced an infographic presenting its new guidance for visiting nursing homes.  This infographic is available in English and Spanish.
• In recent days CMS has issued two dozen section 1135 waivers to give states greater flexibility to serve their Medicaid beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

HHS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls

HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response sponsors COVID-19 Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice that are interactive virtual learning sessions that seek to create a peer-to-peer learning network in which clinicians from the U.S. and abroad who have experience treating patients with COVID-19 share their challenges and successes.  These webinar topics are covered every week:

• EMS:  Patient Care and Operations (Mondays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)
• Critical Care:  Lifesaving Treatment and Clinical Operations (Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)
• Emergency Department:  Patient Care and Clinical Operations (Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)

Go here for information about signing up to participate in the sessions and go here for access to materials and video recordings of past sessions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The CDC has updated its guidance to essential workers on when and how to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• The CDC has updated its guidance for people at high risk of serious illness about the advisability of receiving COVID-19 vaccines.
• The CDC has updated its case for older Americans to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
• The CDC has updated its information about adverse events resulting from COVID-19 vaccines.
• The CDC has published a study analyzing the rate at which individuals receiving two-dose COVID-19 vaccines successfully receive both doses.

Food and Drug Administration

• The FDA has issued emergency use authorization for Propofol-Lipuro 1% injectable emulsion for infusion to maintain sedation via continuous infusion in patients greater than 16 years old who require mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit as part of treatment for COVID-19.  For additional information, see the FDA’s letter issuing this emergency use authorization and a separate fact sheet on the use of Propofol-Lipuro 1% injectable emulsion.
• The FDA has issued a warning to clinical laboratory staff, point-of-care facility staff, and health care providers that false positive results can occur with the Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. cobas COVID-19 & Influenza A/B Nucleic Acid Test.