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
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 506 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 75,592
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 7, that there are 506 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 75,592. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. There are...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 701 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 75,086
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 6, that there are 701 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 75,086. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. There are...
Allegheny County Health Department Provides Update on Clinical Operations
PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is providing the following updates on its clinical operations as the county moves into the green phase of reopening. Patients are required to wear a mask or face covering when coming to an ACHD clinic. Cloth...
Department of Health Launches COVID-19 Phased Reopening County Dashboard
Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Health today launched an online dashboard to show county progress as Pennsylvania moves through the COVID-19 phased reopening plan. The dashboard breaks down four main categories that are used to determine if a county...
Gov. Wolf: 12 More Counties Going Green on June 12
Harrisburg, PA - Effective today, all 67 Pennsylvania counties are either in the yellow or green phase of reopening and Governor Tom Wolf announced that 12 additional counties will move to green at 12:01 a.m., June 12. Those counties include Adams, Beaver,...
Wolf Administration Shares Update on Efforts to Support Businesses During COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin shared the critical actions the Wolf Administration has taken to support businesses throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis, from ongoing outreach to...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 443 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 74,385
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 5, that there are 443 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 74,385. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. There are...
Online Grocery Purchasing for SNAP Recipients Now Available, Retailers Encouraged to Join Program
Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced that the system changes necessary to implement the pilot program that lets recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchase groceries online through participating...
Wolf Administration: Long-Term and Congregate Care Restrictions Will Remain in Place to Protect Vulnerable Populations as Pennsylvania Reopens
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Human Services issued guidance for nursing homes, personal care homes, and other long-term and congregate care facilities as counties enter the green phase of the Governor’s Process...
Los miembros demócratas de la Junta de PHEAA destacan los 30 millones de dólares de financiación de la Ley Cares para subvenciones de PHEAA
HARRISBURG - 5 de junio de 2020 - Los senadores estatales Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Vincent Hughes (D-Filadelfia/Montgomery), John Blake (D-Lackawanna), y Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Filadelfia) anunciaron los 30 millones de dólares en fondos que el Caucus Demócrata del Senado de Pensilvania...
Department of Health Distributes Fourth Shipment of Drug to Help Treat COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Health distributed the fourth shipment of the investigational antiviral medication, remdesivir, to treat patients in the hospital with COVID-19. Yesterday, 4,400 doses of medication were sent to 73 hospitals. The federal government...
176 More Fine Wine & Good Spirits to Begin Limited In-Store Public Access in Yellow Phase Counties on June 5
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today announced that 176 more Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in counties designated in the yellow phase of COVID-19 mitigation efforts will resume limited in-store public access beginning Friday, June 5, abiding...
Reopening Phase Orders Updated to Include 10 Additional Counties Moving to Yellow and 16 to Green on June 5
Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today signed amended yellow phase orders to include 10 counties moving to the yellow phase at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, June 5. The counties include Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh,...
DCNR Moves to Open Remaining State Park, Forest Facilities
Harrisburg, PA -- Today, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the phased reopening of state parks and forest facilities continues Friday, June 5, in southeast and northeast Pennsylvania in line with...
Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 537 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 73,942
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 4, that there are 537 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 73,942. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. There are...
Department of Aging Joins AARP to Support Family Connections in Long-Term Care Facilities
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman announced it is partnering with AARP Pennsylvania to offer communication devices to long-term care facilities that will help residents increase contact with their...
Gov. Wolf: $50 Million in Grants Available to Support Fire and EMS Companies Negatively Affected by COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that the Office of State Fire Commissioner will be working to enact recent legislation to provide $50 million in direct financial relief to fire and emergency medical service (EMS) companies negatively impacted...
Gov. Wolf: $50 Million in Grants Available to Support Fire and EMS Companies Negatively Affected by COVID-19
Governor Tom Wolf announced today that the Office of State Fire Commissioner will be working to enact recent legislation to provide $50 million in direct financial relief to fire and emergency medical service (EMS) companies negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19...
Gov. Wolf: Department of Health Reaches COVID-19 Testing Goal in May, Continues to Increase Testing in Several Regions
Governor Tom Wolf announced today that the Department of Health reached its testing goals in May with more than 283,000 COVID-19 diagnostic test results reported to the department. The department achieved its 2 percent testing goal for the month by more than...
Wolf Administration Outlines Preliminary Guidance for Phased Reopening of Schools
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today said elementary and secondary schools in the state’s yellow and green phases may resume in-person instruction and activities beginning July 1 under a phased reopening approach that first...
Department of Health Updates Dental Guidance for Treating Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today released an update to the dental health care guidance as part of the commonwealth’s phased COVID-19 reopening plan. This guidance allows dental health care providers the ability to safely...
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.