Latest on coronavirus: Pennsylvania up to 22 cases; March Madness called off; Wolf closes eastern Pa. schools

The eastern part of Pennsylvania continues to see an increase in presumed coronavirus cases, according to the state Department of Health.

Pennsylvania has 20 presumed positive cases of the virus and two confirmed cases as of Thursday.

The highest number of cases — 13 — is in Montgomery County, a suburb of Philadelphia, according to the health department. Monroe and Bucks counties each have two cases, and single cases each were reported in Delaware, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike and Wayne counties.

An adult from another state is hospitalized in Montgomery County and is not part of the state’s tally. There are 219 people under investigation by the state department — tests are pending in 81 cases and 116 people have been found to not have the virus, according to statistics provided by the health department.

There have been no cases reported in Western Pennsylvania, though officials have said they expect that to change.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, The Associated Press reported.

For others, including older adults and people who have existing health issues, the illness can be more severe and cause other problems, including pneumonia.

In the United States, at least 38 people have died from covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

The AP reported that the recovery time can take about two weeks for those with a mild form of the illness. Anyone with a severe illness can take three to six weeks to recover.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a pandemic and President Donald Trump is restricting travel from Europe into the United States for 30 days starting late Friday.

A high percentage of people recover from coronavirus. Worldwide, there have been nearly 5,000 deaths and up to 135,000 infections. As China’s rate has receded, Italy is spiking. The death toll there is over 1,000, rising from 820 yesterday.

Concerns have prompted closures and cancellations locally and around the country. Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will not be held Saturday. The NBA suspended its season Wednesday night after a player tested positive for the virus.

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Statewide education conference call set

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera plans to discuss coronavirus-related impacts and next steps with school superintendents statewide during a conference call scheduled for Friday morning, Freeport Area School District Superintendent Ian Magness said Thursday night. Officials from the Fox Chapel Area and Baldwin-Whitehall districts referenced the call, too.

Gov. Wolf discourages large gatherings, closes Montgomery County schools

Gov. Tom Wolf announced new statewide guidance for mitigating the spread of the coronavirus during a press conference Thursday.

Starting Friday, all schools, community centers, gyms and entertainment venues in Montgomery County will be closed for two weeks. Supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations will remain open.

No mass gatherings, including conferences and rallies, should be held.

“By closing these facilities, we can control the spread of the disease, that’s the hope,” Wolf said. “And we can redirect our public safety and health officials to where they’re needed the most.”

For the next two weeks, the rest of the state, including Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, is “strongly encouraged” to suspend gatherings of 250 people or more, Wolf said.

The administration is also discouraging people from visiting gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls, and asking religious leaders to “exercise discretion” in order to mitigate the spread of the illness.

“These actions may seem severe, but they’re far less draconian than what we may need to do in the future if we don’t act now,” Wolf said.

Testing situation in Allegheny County

There is a bottleneck in testing Allegheny County residents for the novel coronavirus because of strict guidelines, Allegheny County health officials said Thursday, at the same time working to quell panic among the public.

There are still no known cases of covid-19 in the county, officials said, noting that because of precautionary requirements, emergency rooms are the only places where testing for the virus can take place.

“We’re not at the point now that we’re testing anybody with a fever and a cough,” said Dr. Kristen Mertz, an epidemiologist with the Allegheny County Health Department.

Schools in several districts close buildings

The Fox Chapel Area School District will close all schools Friday after officials learned that an ill high school student was possibly exposed to coronavirus.

While the student’s parent has not traveled to any areas known to have the virus, the district said it is closing in a proactive effort to safeguard health.

The student is not currently displaying any symptoms, officials said.

A decison will be made later on any future potential closings, the district said.

Brookline Pre-K-8 school will be closed on Friday because officials learned that a relative of students may have been exposed to covid-19 while traveling out of state, Pittsburgh Public Schools officials said. Colfax Elementary School in Squirrel Hill was closed Thursday for a similar reason.

The district’s operations team is deep-cleaning both buildings using a device that sprays a mist with an electrostatic charge that clings to surfaces, school officials said. Both schools are expected to reopen Monday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools also sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday informing them that a district employee has self-quarantined because a family member may have been exposed to the coronavirus at a conference.

The Woodland Hills School District announced that it will close the intermediate school for two days because of a potential exposure to the coronavirus, district officials announced Thursday.

The Wilkinsburg School District announced it is closing Kelly Primary School and Turner Intermediate School on Friday and Monday due to a potential exposure to covid-19.

Four Catholic Schools are closed Friday for sanitation in an “abundance of caution,” the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Thursday.

Saint Bede Elementary School in Point Breeze, East Catholic in Forest Hills and Saint Therese of Lisieux in Munhall will be closed for sanitizing.

A few students and adults from those schools will remain home for 14-day quarantine, the diocese said.

Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport will also be closed Friday to be sanitized, but online classes will be conducted.

There will be no classes in any of the diocese schools Monday, March 16, so teachers can attend an in-service day to prepare for possible school closures.

Other districts call for 2-hour delays for Friday

Some school districts announced they delay the start of classes two hours later than usual Friday; among them: Leechburg Area, Allegheny Valley and Riverview. Teachers will report as scheduled so they have “ample time to prepare lessons should we need to close,” Leechburg Area officials said in an alert. Leechburg’s two-hour delay will not apply to the affiliated Merekey Education Center or Lenape Technical School or private schools in the area.

Penn Hills School District announced that all after-school activities are suspended until further notice.

Plum School District cancelled all field trips, out-of-state trips and use of district facilities by other organizations from Saturday to April 13. Plum High School’s musical, “Beauty and the Beast,” has been postponed to April 23-25.

Food banks prepare to reach vulnerable populations

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Empty Bowls dinner is the latest casualty in the fight to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The food bank and Just Harvest, the other sponsor of the event, announced the cancellation Thursday. The event was to be held Sunday at Rodef Shalom, but organizers said they would heed advice on social distancing and reschedule the event. A new date was not announced.

What exactly is ‘social distancing’?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define it as the practice of staying out of mass gatherings and other congregate settings and keeping at least 6 feet between yourself and other people.

“In restricting your own movements, you are going to reduce your individual risk, but you’re also reducing the risk of others who are more vulnerable,” said Tina ofessor with the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “Even though we may not have an identified case in our area … we can think about protecting those individuals by maybe not going to a concert or something like that if we have an immuno-compromised person in our family.”

Senior living communities, nursing homes restrict visitors

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network is banning visitors. Officials said shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday that no visitors will be allowed at the network’s skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers or assisted living communities, effective Friday “until further notice.”

“We have taken this action to provide the highest level of protection possible to our patients and residents,” Paul Winkler, president and CEO of the network, said in a statement. The Oakmont-based network serves more than 6,500 older adults across 10 counties, from Washington County to Erie.

Exceptions to the visitors ban will include “extraordinary circumstances” gauged on a case-by-case basis, such as people visiting loved ones in hospice or end-of-life care. Visitors to independent living communities will be screened.

The moves are in line with what other senior living centers and nursing homes are doing to protect elderly patients, whom experts say are among the most vulnerable to covid-19.

Wexford Healthcare Center in McCandless and Baldwin Health Center are taking the temperatures of visitors before allowing them to enter their nursing homes.

Platinum Ridge Center for Rehabilitation & Healing in Brackenridge is asking visitors to see only one resident, not multiple ones.

Show goes on. For now.

There is an old saying in show business: “The show must go on.” And that’s what is happening in parts of Pittsburgh, at least for now.

With concern over the spread of coronavirus inspiring precautions across the country, some cultural venues are keeping their lights on this weekend while putting certain conditions in place.

The Pittsburgh Symphony is going ahead with this weekend’s scheduled performances of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, as is the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, with shows at the Benedum and other popular venues.

But late Thursday, both Pittsburgh Public Theater and City Theatre cancelled the remaining performances of the shows that were underway.

Area casinos keep on rolling

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh regular Sandra Painter has little concern about the coronavirus.

Painter said she gambles at the casino about three times a week. The Mt. Washington resident will continue to visit unless younger and otherwise healthy people start getting infected with the coronavirus that causes covid-19. How are casinos preparing for the pandemic?

Fish fry events affected

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has encouraged parishes with fish fry events to only serve takeout orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Bishop David Zubik also announced dispensation from Sunday Mass.

SAT tests cancelled

Some SAT exams scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled or rescheduled. The exam set for Saturday at Upper St. Clair High School has been cancelled, said Tina Vojtko, a communications specialist with the district.

The SAT to be administered at North Hills High School in Ross has been rescheduled for March 28, according to the College Board.

School musicals in jeopardy

West Jefferson Hills School District in the South Hills has canceled its spring musical and all other large, non-essential group activities and gatherings will be postponed, according to a letter to district parents from Superintendent Dr. Michael Ghilani. At this time, the district does not plan to close the schools. The complete letter be found here.

Duquesne Light pulls workers from Home & Garden Show

Duquesne Light, the title sponsor of the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, is pulling its employees from the event to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus.

“We support the decisions of city officials to cancel large events and believe this is the best course of action for us to ensure we’re doing everything possible to keep our employees healthy amidst concerns surrounding covid-19,” Duquesne Light spokeswoman Hollie Geitner said in a statement Thursday.

“They’ve been a great partner with us for more than 20 years as title sponsor,” said John DeSantis, executive director of the show. “We certainly wouldn’t question their decision.”

More colleges canceling classes, going online

The Community College of Allegheny County alerted students Thursday evening that all on-campus classes will be canceled until April 19. Credit courses will be suspended for a week, then shift to online and remote coursework until CCAC’s campuses resume normal operations.

CCAC also is suspending all athletic activities and college-sponsored student travel, officials said. Events or gatherings of more than 25 people have been canceled. Campus facilities such as libraries, computer labs and food pantries will remain open.

Earlier in the day, Butler County Community College became the first community college in the region to cancel classes because of worries over the coronavirus, while Chatham, Carlow, La Roche and Point Park universities have announced plans to move to online-only courses for the near future.

That follows decisions by Pitt, Duquesne, Carnegie Mellon and Penn State to cancel face-to-face classes.

State prison visits cancelled

The state has cancelled all visits to inmates in state prisons beginning Friday and continuing for 14 days because of concerns over the spread of coronavirus, the Department of Corrections said Thursday night.

While taking away inmate visits, corrections officials are working to increase phone time and commissary order limits, the Corrections Department said.

All state prisons will conduct enhanced screening of staff, vendors and contractors, including chaplains. Those enhanced screening protocols include taking a person’s temperature and asking a series of questions, Corrections Department Secretary John Wetzel said.

All essential employees are required to report to work, but Wetzel said that if anyone has have flu-like symptoms and/or a temperature of 100.4 degrees or more, they will not be allowed in.

March Madness basketball tournaments called off

The NCAA has canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus, putting an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. Earlier Thursday, the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC all canceled their basketball tournaments.

PIAA basketball tournaments postponed

The PIAA suspended its basketball tournaments and Class AA swimming championships Thursday for at least two weeks, joining a growing list nationally of sports organizations impacted by the coronavirus.

Port Authority increases cleanings

Port Authority of Allegheny County announced it will immediately begin disinfecting “high touch” surfaces on buses and light rail vehicles every 72 hours. Surfaces inside major transit stations will be disinfected daily.

There are no plans for changes to Port Authority schedules or service.

“High touch” surfaces include poles, pull cords, hand straps, the tops of seats, fare boxes, ConnectCard machines, escalator handrails and elevator buttons. ACCESS service providers will clean paratransit vehicles on a daily basis.

Increasing the cleaning schedule to once every 72 hours comes in advance of the agency activating its Pandemic Plan. Should Port Authority need to activate its Pandemic Plan, crews will disinfect vehicles on a nightly basis. Currently, Port Authority’s fleet of buses and light rail vehicles are wiped down with a disinfectant cleaner once every 30 days.

Hand sanitizing dispensers have been installed at Port Authority’s Downtown Service Center, and Steel Plaza, Wood Street, Gateway and North Side stations, with more to be installed once additional supplies are available.

Westmoreland County Transit officials said the ongoing coronavirus scare for now will not impact local and commuter bus service and the agency’s Go Westmoreland paratransit shared-ride programs will continue at current levels.

Starbucks may go drive-thru only

Some Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada may become drive-thru only while others could limit the number of people allowed inside.

Signs posted at the Starbucks near the Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall in Tarentum alerted customers that the store would not be serving drinks in any reusable cups.

“As a last resort, we will close a store if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities,” Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a letter to customers.

Johnson emphasized that any closures will be temporary. The company said decisions will be made on a store-by-store basis.

VA town hall meeting canceled

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System canceled a veterans town hall meeting to be held Thursday in Hempfield.

The event scheduled at the Westmoreland County VA Clinic on Route 30 has not be rescheduled.

The series of town halls “are part of an ongoing effort to hear from veterans and the community and to use this feedback to improve VA care.” The next town hall scheduled is March 18 in St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Wilkinsburg group cancels events

The Landmarks Preservation Resource Center in Wilksinburg announced it has canceled all of its March events because of the covid-19 pandemic.

The group said it will reschedule the events at a later day.

Interest-free loans available

The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Pittsburgh is offering interest-free loans of up to $5,000 for those who incur financial hardships because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Coronavirus Financial Bridge Loan Program is intended to address lost wages, childcare costs because of school closures, small business losses, canceled study abroad programs and medical expenses.

“Last night we approved this new loan program as we brace for an unprecedented public health emergency,” HFL president Shelley Daniels said. “Many of us do not know what to expect exactly, but we know there will be financial fallout.”

HFL’s loan application may be completed online. For details, visit hflapgh.org or call 412-422-8868.

HFL is a nonsectarian nonprofit that has been operating in Pittsburgh since the late 1880s.

Staff writers Renatta Signorini, Jason Cato, Natasha Lindstrom, Joe Napsha and Teghan Simonton contributed.