May 26 Pennsylvania COVID-19 Update

BELOW:

Three day reports from DoH re COVID-19 cases
Notices published since May 21
Wolf and Levine answer questions
FDA calls for coronavirus antibody diagnostics to be taken off the market
State Budget may be passed before June

MONDAY REPORT
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday confirmed that, as of 12:00 a.m., May 25, there were 473 additional positive cases of COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours, bringing the statewide total to 68,186. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,139 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 15 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

There are 549 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 334,928 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

Nearly 1% are ages 0-4;
Nearly 1% are ages 5-12;
Nearly 2% are ages 13-18;
Nearly 6% are ages 19-24;
Nearly 37% are ages 25-49;
25% are ages 50-64; and
Nearly 29% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 14,690 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,471 cases among employees, for a total of 17,161 at 594 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 3,379 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 5,140 of our total cases are in health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Non-life-sustaining businesses in the red phase are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently, 49 counties are in the yellow phase of reopening. Eight additional counties will move to yellow and 17 to green on May 29. All remaining red counties are expected to move to yellow by June 5.

SUNDAY REPORT
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Sunday confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 24, that there were 730 additional positive cases of COVID-19 reported over the previous 24=hours, bringing the statewide total to 67,713. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,124 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 28 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

There are 531 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 328,382 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

Nearly 1% are ages 0-4;
Nearly 1% are ages 5-12;
Nearly 2% are ages 13-18;
Nearly 6% are ages 19-24;
Nearly 37% are ages 25-49;
25% are ages 50-64; and
Nearly 29% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 14,607 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,457 cases among employees, for a total of 17,064 at 591 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 3,357 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 5,099 of our total cases are in health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

SATURDAY REPORT
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday confirmed that, as of 12:00 a.m., May 23, there were 725 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 66,983. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,096 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 112 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

There are 513 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 321,469 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

Nearly 1% are ages 0-4;
Nearly 1% are ages 5-12;
Nearly 2% are ages 13-18;
Nearly 6% are ages 19-24;
Nearly 37% are ages 25-49;
25% are ages 50-64; and
Nearly 29% are ages 65 or older.

Provided an update from Pennsylvania State Police on business closure enforcement actions.
Announced eight counties moving to yellow and 17 to green on May 29, remainder to yellow on June 5.
Released summer camp and recreation guidance.

Wolf and Levine took questions on Friday afternoon
Sec. Levine, Gov. Wolf, and Padfield took questions from the media late Friday afternoon.

Are you responding to pressure to lift restrictions when 21 counties still have over 50 cases per 100,000 residents for the past two weeks? Gov. Wolf asserted that the 50 cases per 100,000 residents was one of the statistics used and was set when there was less testing capacity and less knowledge about the disease. He asserted that testing capacity has increased to up to 12,000 or 13,000 tests per day and the administration knows more about the virus.

Do the Philadelphia-area counties need to meet the 50 cases per 100,000 residents for 14 days to move to the yellow phase? Gov. Wolf noted they never used the metric exclusively and the administration has broadened the factors reviewed. He said, “The date is still two weeks out, and we feel confident that by June 5 Philadelphia will be in a position that its citizens can safely move into the yellow phase.”

How did the administration pick the June 5 date? Gov. Wolf said, “It looks as though within the next two weeks every county will be able to be either in the yellow or green phase.”

What metric has kept Centre County from moving to the green phase? Gov. Wolf affirmed that local officials in Centre County said they did not feel ready to move to the green phase.

How do you respond to President Donald Trump who said he is overriding governors who closed houses of worship and kept liquor stores and abortion clinics open? Gov. Wolf noted religious organizations were never closed. He asserted that leaders of religious organizations have a mission to keep their congregations safe. He added that he closed liquor stores.

Do you think other states reopened beaches too quickly, and what guidance can you provide to Pennsylvanians going to the beach? Gov. Wolf commented that Pennsylvania is part of a seven-state consortium that includes New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, which are states that decided to open their beaches. He asserted that he is not going to the beach and that going to places where the virus can spread is not a good idea.

Why have states not reopened under the same guidelines? Gov. Wolf said though seven different states are working together, every state has a different set of constituents.

Why are the nursing home numbers different from what some counties are reporting, as DOH reported 32 deaths at Conestoga View Nursing and Rehabilitation in Lancaster, while the coroner shows 64? Sec. Levine responded she needs to look into specifics. She noted that DOH is required to report deaths based upon residency while coroners report deaths based upon where the person died.

As the statewide recovery percentage is 57 percent, when will you provide a county-by-county statistic? Sec. Levine said DOH will consider county-by-county reporting for the future but will only be reporting a statewide percentage for the present time.

As the seven-day rolling average of new cases in Lehigh County appears to have slowed, is this a sign that the recovery is stalling? Sec. Levine said the rolling averages show decreases overall, and the percentage of positive new cases is decreasing in all regions.

What are your thoughts about nursing homes’ refusals to comment on what led to COVID-19 outbreaks? Sec. Levine responded that DOH has worked with every facility with COVID-19 cases and worked with all facilities regarding education and infection control. She pointed out that DOH does not run nursing homes but licenses and inspects them. She said, “They need to make their own decisions.”

If the CMS announced two weeks ago they would provide data for nursing homes and personal care homes, why did DOH issue the order yesterday for personal care homes to begin reporting data as of May 28? Sec. Levine said DOH has collaborated with the Department of Human Services, which regulates personal care homes, to implement the order to release information.

Can high school and college graduations be held in counties in the green phase? Sec. Levine said the Department of Education has provided guidance that the decision is up to local officials. She asserted that counties in the green phase will still have restrictions regarding the number of people congregating.

Are swimming clubs open in the yellow phase, and will summer camps with swimming be open? Gov. Wolf said Pennsylvania is opening summer day camps to address child care concerns. Critics contend that you have no plan which prompted a reversal to allow summer camps to open during the yellow phase.

What prompted the reversal, and how do you respond to critics? Gov. Wolf said the focus has always been to defeat the virus. He stated that Pennsylvania has adapted to new science by using modeling, working with other states, and expanding testing.

Can you explain why you declared flag manufacturers as non-essential businesses? Gov. Wolf responded that he was looking for every opportunity to keep people safe. He asserted that while flag manufacturing was non-essential, the distribution of flags was permitted.

How long will you operate the state under the powers given to you by a disaster emergency? Gov. Wolf said, “I am trying to do what a democracy is supposed to do when faced with a crisis.” He asserted that the constitution gives him the ability to use an emergency disaster declaration to act quickly. He noted that as soon as he believes the crisis has passed, he will “move away from the disaster declaration.”

FDA calls for more than two dozen antibody diagnostics to be taken off the market
The FDA named more than two dozen coronavirus antibody diagnostics it says should be taken off the market weeks after the agency closed its open-door policy on COVID-19 blood tests and required developers to submit their products and data for review.

The 28 serology tests, mostly manufactured overseas, include ones that were voluntarily withdrawn by their sponsors as well as those that neglected to pursue an official FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Under a policy in place from mid-March through early May, the agency allowed over 180 antibody blood tests to be sold and distributed in the U.S. without federal review but with certain conditions for manufacturers: They must notify the FDA of their plans, perform self-validation studies and carry a label saying the product is not authorized and incapable of diagnosing COVID-19 on its own.

State Budget votes scheduled for May 26-29 session week
In talks with 3 of the four legislative caucuses, ERG has learned that the House and Senate could pass a “flatline” five month budget as early as this Friday, enough to cover the first few months of the state’s 2020-2021 fiscal year.

The budget that’s been discussed would flat fund line items from the 2019-2020 budget for five months, because of the almost total lack of certainty revolving around revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and inability to know what kind of federal assistance may yet be coming to the states this year. Education funding would remain at 2019-2020 levels for the Fiscal Year.

Negotiations among the caucuses and the Governor’s Office have been ongoing this weekend, and House Democrats caucused on this proposal Monday afternoon. The Senate has announced plans to be in session Tuesday through Friday, and this evening, House members were advised to plan for the same.

Setting the stage, the state’s Independent Fiscal Office will hold a briefing Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. to release updated revenue estimates for the current fiscal year and initial revenue estimates for 2020-2021. The numbers are expected to show the state billions of dollars short fo
r FY 2019-2020, and to have much less to spend for next year that was estimated when the Governor and his staff proposed the FY 2020-2021 budget in February.

Any general tax hike is off the table, and the state is expected to invest state as well as federal funds into reopening the state and helping businesses recover.