Pennsylvania category, Page 185
Lawrence County among those going to green phase of reopening
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday he is easing some pandemic restrictions in Philadelphia and the heavily populated suburbs on June 5, while lifting them almost entirely in 17 rural counties next week as Pennsylvania continues to emerge from a shutdown imposed nearly two months ago to help slow...
Pennsylvania prisons plan to loosen coronavirus-related restrictions
The Secretary of Corrections on Friday laid out the state prison system’s plan to gradually step down pandemic-related restrictions and talked about factors he said led to outbreaks in some prisons and not others. John Wetzel, head of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, also said the state’s criteria for granting...
115 new coronavirus deaths reported in PennsylvaniaVideo
Pennsylvania reported more than 100 new coronavirus-related deaths Friday, bringing the overall death toll to just under 5,000. With the addition of 115 deaths, the statewide total now stands at 4,984. State health officials recorded 866 new cases of the virus throughout the day Thursday, pushing the running case count...
Pennsylvania’s jobless claims near 2 million
Almost 2 million Pennsylvanians have filed initial unemployment claims since Gov. Wolf ordered the shutdown of non-essential businesses in mid-March, according to the latest figures from the state. The state has seen 1.9 million workers file for first-time jobless claims as of May 20, even though the number of initial...
‘1-4-3 Day’ returns Friday to honor Fred Rogers’ legacy
Friday is 1-4-3 Day, a statewide celebration of Fred Rogers’ message of love and kindness. To Mr. Rogers, the number 143 was a code — one number for “I,” four for “love,” and three for “you.” Gov. Tom Wolf declared the first 1-4-3 Day last year, and the tradition returns...
Experts: Low traffic numbers expected for Memorial Day weekend
Vehicular traffic is down nearly 40 percent on Pennsylvania highways since the onset of the pandemic in March, leading traffic experts to say that on this Memorial Day weekend, normally high-volume traffic will be down. “As of April 29, which is the most recent date for which we have verified...
Gov. Wolf signs bill allowing bars, restaurants to sell cocktails to go
Bartenders began whipping up mixed drinks Thursday afternoon at Mogie’s Irish Pub as soon as they learned Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law allowing cocktail to-go sales during the pandemic-spurred restrictions. Craig Licata, who lives nearby the Lower Burrell bar, picked up two plastic foam cups of Long...
Pa. reports 102 additional covid-19 deaths; Gov. Wolf to move more counties from red phase to yellow
The nearly 1,000 new coronavirus cases reported by state health officials on Thursday pushed Pennsylvania’s running case count past 65,000 as the state also added 102 new virus-related deaths. The covid-19 death toll across the state now stands at 4,869. All of the deaths have been adults, according to Secretary...
Man, woman found shot dead in Philadelphia home
PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say a woman and a man have been found shot to death in a northeast Philadelphia home. Police called to the Bridesburg home shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday found a 37-year-old woman with three gunshot wounds. A 43-year-old man was found in the hallway with a gunshot...
Pa. again extends gun permit licenses that have expired
State officials on Thursday granted another extension for residents whose gun permits have expired during the coronavirus pandemic. The extension applies to permits that expired on or after March 19, according to state police. The initial license to carry extension was set to expire May 30, and Gov. Tom Wolf...
Gov. Wolf talking with sports leagues, says it could take until vaccine for Pennsylvania to reach ‘normal’
Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday he is talking with professional sports leagues about holding events in Pennsylvania, but he doesn’t believe residents will be completely comfortable going back to pre-pandemic normalcy until there is a coronavirus vaccine. “Ultimately, I think what it’s going to take for everybody to feel safe...
State reports 143 more coronavirus deaths, 746 additional cases
Pennsylvania on Wednesday reported 143 more covid-19 deaths and 746 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to just over 64,400 , state officials said. There have been 4,767 people who have died from the virus, which has been reported in all of the state’s 67 counties. More...
Pennsylvania doles out $51 million to child care centers to help with reopening
More than $50 million from Pennsylvania’s first round of federal coronavirus aid will go to nearly 7,000 child care centers across the state, Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday. Wolf said reopening the state will require “robust and healthy” child care. Of the money, which is part of CARES Act funding...
Pennsylvania joins pilot program allowing SNAP users to buy groceries online
Pennsylvania will participate in a pilot program allowing recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to purchase their groceries online through participating retailers. “Many people have been purchasing groceries online to facilitate social distancing, but SNAP recipients were not able to do so due to federal restrictions on...
Pa. Department of Health report sheds light on coronavirus impact in long-term care facilities
Brighton Rehab officials said early on in the pandemic they would operate under the assumption that all of the care home residents were positive for the coronavirus. That has nearly come to pass, data show: of the approximately 470 residents at the Beaver County facility, more than three-quarters of them...
610 new coronavirus cases, 119 additional deaths reported in Pa.
State health officials on Tuesday reported more than 100 new coronavirus deaths across Pennsylvania along with 610 new cases of the virus. The 119 newly reported deaths bring the statewide death toll to 4,624. The total number of cases across the state since March 6 now stands at 63,666. Those...
2 more state prison inmates, 1 staffer die of covid-19
Two more Pennsylvania state prison inmates and one prison employee have died from the coronavirus, according to data from the state Department of Corrections. The latest inmates to die from covid-19 were incarcerated at SCI-Huntingdon in Huntington County. The facility has seen 62 inmates test positive for the virus along...
New Pennsylvania program extends unemployment benefits
The state’s new Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program will allow some Pennsylvanians to continue receiving benefits after traditional unemployment expires. The program is funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Unemployment benefits usually expire after 13 weeks. Unemployed Pennsylvanians whose benefits have run out, who...
Opening day for ATVs on state trails to be Tuesday, says DCNR
Opening day for all-terrain vehicles to access designated trails in state forests statewide will be Tuesday — four days earlier than usual — the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday. DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that opening day is occurring four days before the start of...
Pa. revamps coronavirus reporting system as some counties see wide swings; in all, 822 new cases reported
State health officials reported dozens of new coronavirus deaths on Monday as they announced an overhaul in how deaths are reported to the Department of Health and then to the public. The 87 new deaths reported bring the state’s death toll to 4,505. Additionally, 822 new covid-19 cases were reported...
Pennsylvania reports 15 more coronavirus deaths, 623 additional cases
Pennsylvania on Sunday reported 15 more covid-19 deaths and 623 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 62,234, state officials said. A total of 4,418 people have died from the virus, which has been reported in all of the state’s 67 counties. More than 270,600 people have...
Pandemic throws campaign challenges in way of candidates looking to win June 2 primaries
When he decided to run for state auditor general, Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb thought he had retail politics down to an art form. After all, the 57-year-old was born into a political family. The affable Democrat had run seven successful campaigns in Allegheny County, made his bona fides as...
Pennsylvania reports 61 more covid-19 deaths; 69% of deaths linked to nursing homes
Pennsylvania reported 61 more covid-19 deaths and 989 newly confirmed cases as of Saturday morning, bringing the state’s total number of cases to more than 61,600. Hospitals are treating 1,887 patients with the disease, and 409 of those patients are on ventilators. Another 18 patients are on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation,...
As restrictions loosen in Pennsylvania, health officials gear up for increased contact tracing
Contact tracing has been done on infectious diseases for years, but it arguably has never been more discussed or under as much scrutiny as it is now as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and tries to reclaim some amount of normalcy. Pennsylvania officials have identified the simple yet...
No license required: Free fishing day May 24, local lawmaker wants more
What’s better than two days a year of free fishing without a license? Four days of free fishing. State Rep. Bill Kortz, D- Dravosburg, wants to double the number of free fishing days in the state from two to four. As it stands now, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission...
