COVID-19 UPDATE: Resources, information, and helpful tips to protect you and your family!
Senator Fontana Hosts a Telephone Town Hall on the Coronavirus
Senator Fontana Hosts a Telephone Town Hall on the Coronavirus
LIVE daily briefings from the PA Department of Health:
pacast.com/live/doh or www.governor.pa.gov/live/ or watch on Facebook
Vaccine Information
I co-hosted a virtual townhall on January 11, 2021 with Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and officials from PEMA and the PA Department of Health who are responsible for overseeing the rollout of the COVID vaccine.
Latest News
Seven Fine Wine & Good Spirits in Philadelphia Resume In-Store, Curbside Sales
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today announced that seven Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Philadelphia are resuming limited in-store sales and curbside pickup service. On Friday, July 10, the following stores resumed limited in-store...
Reminder: July 15 is Deadline to File Personal Income Tax Returns
Harrisburg, PA — The Department of Revenue is reminding Pennsylvanians the deadline to file 2019 personal income tax returns is Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The filing deadline was extended 90 days this year to provide relief to taxpayers during the COVID-19...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 725 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 95,414
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 12, that there are 725 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 95,414. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. The number...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 813 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 94,689
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 11, that there are 813 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 94,689. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. The number...
Wolf Administration: Wear Masks to Protect and Support Local Businesses
Governor Tom Wolf, Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin, and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today reminded Pennsylvanians to wear masks while shopping and dining to protect and support our local businesses. “Mask-wearing is...
Governor Wolf Signs Executive Order Authorizing Commonwealth Agencies to Conduct Remote Administrative Proceedings
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help reduce unnecessary in-person contact that can spread the virus, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order today authorizing state agencies to conduct administrative proceedings remotely. Several state...
Dashboard Data Confirms Need for Masking, Social Distancing
Governor Tom Wolf released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard comparing the seven-day period of July 3 – July 9 to the previous seven days, June 26 – July 2. The...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 1,009 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 93,876
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 10, that there are 1,009 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 93,876. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. The...
Wolf Administration Awards Nearly $19 Million for Homelessness Assistance and Prevention
Gov. Tom Wolf announced nearly $19 million in funding awards to assist in mitigating the impacts of the coronavirus on homeless families and individuals and to prevent future homelessness across the commonwealth. The Wolf Administration, through the Department of...
Wolf Administration Awards Nearly $19 Million for Homelessness Assistance and Prevention
Harrisburg, PA — Today, Gov. Tom Wolf announced nearly $19 million in funding awards to assist in mitigating the impacts of the coronavirus on homeless families and individuals and to prevent future homelessness across the commonwealth. The Wolf Administration,...
Human Services Reminds Pennsylvanians to Apply for Housing, Utility and Emergency Assistance Programs
Harrisburg, PA - Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today encouraged Pennsylvanians who have been affected financially by the COVID-19 public-health crisis to take advantage of programs designed to help with rent payments and...
Department of Health: While Enjoying Summer Activities, Take Steps to Protect Your Eyes
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today urged all Pennsylvanians to take steps to prevent eye injuries that can occur more frequently during the summer months. “During the summer, many children and adults are staying active by playing outside and taking...
Wolf Administration Releases Updated FAQs for Summer Recreation, Camps and Pools
The Wolf Administration today released updated frequently asked questions (FAQs) about summer recreation, camps and pools. The original FAQs were announced on May 22 to cover summer camps and recreation. The new FAQs modify those and also add...
Wolf Administration Reminds Pennsylvanians to Wear Mask While Enjoying the Outdoors
Governor Tom Wolf and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn today reminded Pennsylvanians to wear masks while enjoying the outdoors when they are not able to consistently maintain social distancing from individuals who are...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 719 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 92,867
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 9, that there are 719 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 92,867. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. The number...
Gov. Wolf Announces Protections from Foreclosures and Evictions Through Aug. 31
Governor Tom Wolf today signed a new executive order that protects homeowners and renters from eviction or foreclosure until Aug. 31, if they have not received assistance from a new program administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) or...
Wolf Administration Encourages Summer Pool Safety, Reminds Pennsylvanians to Practice Social Distancing and Wear Masks
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today urged all Pennsylvanians to practice social distancing, wear masks and be aware of pool safety concerns as Pennsylvanians enjoy the summer days outside. Face masks should not be worn in the water as a wet face...
Gov. Wolf Announces $10 Million Available to Support Pennsylvania’s Food System
Governor Tom Wolf today announced that $10 million is now available for Pennsylvania businesses that have worked to maintain access to fresh, healthy food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “Pennsylvania’s food retailers stepped up to the plate to protect those putting...
Department of Health Announces Additional Partnership to Assist with COVID-19 Response in Nursing Homes
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced a partnership with Eurofins to assist with nursing home facility testing in the COVID-19 response. “We are so pleased to have this level of collaboration and assistance from Eurofins,” Dr....
State Fire Commissioner Opens $50 Million Grant Program to Support Fire, Rescue and EMS Companies Affected by COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA – State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego announced today that the Office of State Fire Commissioner (OSFC) opened registration on July 6 for state grants aimed at providing direct financial relief to fire, rescue and emergency medical service (EMS)...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 849 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 92,148
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 8, that there are 849 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 92,148. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. The number...
What You Need to Know About COVID-19
The Coronavirus was first discovered during an outbreak in Wuhan, China. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms often do not appear in a person until 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Prepare Yourself and Your Family
The best way to avoid contracting COVID-19 is by practicing vital social distancing procedures. It is recommended to work remotely and severely limit contact with others.
If you think you have come into contact with someone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or are exhibiting them yourself, please follow the instructions on the graphic below:
PennDOT/Real ID Updates
Federal REAL ID Enforcement Deadline Postponed to October 2021
The Department of Homeland Security has postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from October 1, 2020, to October 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19 and the national emergency declaration.
PennDOT closed all driver and photo license centers on March 16 and paused REAL ID issuance in the state out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of public health. Centers will reopen no sooner than April 3. PennDOT also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, requesting that the agency consider extending the October 1, 2020 REAL ID enforcement deadline.
REAL ID is a federal law that affects how states issue driver’s licenses and ID cards if they are going to be acceptable for federal purposes. A federally-acceptable form of identification (whether it’s a Pennsylvania REAL ID driver’s license or ID card, a valid U.S. Passport/Passport Card, a military ID, etc.) must now be used on and after October 1, 2021, as identification to board a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building that requires a federally acceptable form of identification ID for access.
REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania. There is no requirement that any resident obtain a REAL ID; PennDOT will continue to offer standard-issue driver’s licenses and photo IDs once issuance has resumed.
More information about document requirements, including a printable document checklist, can be found on the Document Check page of the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website.
Protect Yourself
Medical Costs
As of March 9, the Governor announced that all major health insurers in Pennsylvania have agreed to cover “medically appropriate” COVID-19 testing and treatment.
The 10 major insurers are:
- Aetna
- Capital Blue Cross
- Cigna
- Geisinger
- Highmark
- Independence BlueCross
- Oscar
- Pennsylvania Health & Wellness
- UnitedHealthcare
- UPMC Health Plan
For anyone with questions about their insurance policy, please contact your insurer or the Pennsylvania State Insurance Department with questions. They can also be reached at (877) 881-6388.
Remote Medical Attention and Care
Health officials are urging people who have symptoms to stay home and contact their doctor remotely rather than opting for an in-person visit. Nearly all major health systems offer some form of virtual visits and assistance. Some insurers do, too. People interested in a specific virtual visit should check to see what illnesses it can be used for. Be sure to reach out to your insurance provider to verify this service is covered with your plan.
Here’s an brief overview of virtual visit services offered to local residents:
Capital BlueCross – is offering free medical Virtual Care visits for members who currently have the Virtual Care benefit. The waiving of fees will be effective March 13 through April 15, 2020.
Highmark – is providing many of their members with a virtual clinic visit service. Any fees related to COVID-19 will be waived.
UPMC Pinnacle – is welcoming Online Video Visits for those experience flu like symptoms or just in need of a follow-up appointment. Video visits are available through the MyPinnacleHealth portal for $49.
WellSpan Health – WellSpan Online Urgent Care offers a video visits with Teladoc physicians for patients 3 months and older for their standard fee of $49.
CALLING ALL PSYCHOLOGIST! Things may be picking up for you at this time, so we want to make sure you are covered too. Here are some COVID-19 resources on how to best protect yourself and serve your patients from the Pennsylvania Psychologist Association.
How to Stay Informed
Below is an extensive list of information, statistics, and resources to ensure you stay up-to-date with any changes happening due to COVID-19.
My Office
While our offices are closed, we are working remotely. Please call 412-344-2551 and leave a message or email fontana@pasenate.com and someone will get back in touch with you as soon as possible.
ENewsletters
- Make sure you are signed up to receive my electronic newsletter (you can sign up HERE)
- To view all past issues of “News & Views” eNews, CLICK HERE
Pennsylvania Department of Health
- The PA DoH Daily COVID-19 report. Updated regularly throughout the day.
- Follow the PA Health Department on Twitter.
- Follow them on Facebook.
A complete list of information and resources available to you by county:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Track confirmed cases in the US. (This site is updated weekdays at noon and shows numbers that were current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.)
- CDC provided information regarding “What you should know about COVID-19”
- Follow the CDC on Twitter.
- Follow the CDC on Facebook.
- Learn how best to prevent “community transition” with specific details on what to do before, during, and after outbreaks.
World Health Organization
- Learn what’s happening Worldwide with the WHO’s Daily report. The most recent report is located at the top of the page. It includes confirmed case and death tallies.
- Additional COVID-19 information is provided on their website.
- Stay informed on Twitter.
- Follow their Facebook page.