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Wolf Administration says reopening goal requires low numbers by May
Gov. Wolf and other officials asserted that life will not immediately return to normal even if the state reopens.
PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania's confirmed cases of the coronavirus reached 42,050 cases, with 1,597 confirmed deaths on Monday.
The rise in cases is attributed to 885 additional positive cases of COVID-19 and 47 new deaths in the state.
Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:
- Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
- Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
- 1% are aged 13-18;
- Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
- 38% are aged 25-49;
- Nearly 28% are aged 50-64; and
- Nearly 26% are aged 65 or older.
“As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community."
Gov. Tom Wolf says Pennsylvania will gradually reopen its economy using a "regional, sector-based approach" and a modeling tool that will help public officials decide when it's safe, according to a plan outlined Friday.
"Unfortunately, we cannot flip a switch and reopen the commonwealth. There's not going to be one big day," Wolf said. "We need to be smart and make data-driven decisions."
Wolf cautioned Thursday that a declining case count is just one factor that officials will consider in deciding whether a region of the state is ready to begin emerging from the pandemic.
Wolf’s reopening plan divides counties into six geographic regions, where shutdown rules may be relaxed once fewer than one person in 2,000 has been infected over the past two weeks.
Wolf said he believes two regions — the northcentral and northwest, both of which have seen relatively few cases — will be ready for a limited reopening on May 8, with residents permitted to leave their homes at will, and some retail shops allowed to accept customers.
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Governor Wolf announces new plan to reopen PA
Governor Wolf announces a new plan to reopen PA and its businesses
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CASES
Below is a breakdown of the cases by county:
– Adams County: 122, including 1 death
– Allegheny County: 1,224, including 79 deaths
– Armstrong County: 47, including 2 death
– Beaver County: 387, including 46 deaths
– Bedford County: 21, including 1 death
– Berks County: 2,526, including 89 deaths
– Blair County: 21
– Bradford County: 28; including 2 death
– Bucks County: 2,585, including 148 deaths
– Butler County: 170, including 6 deaths
– Cambria County: 21, including 1 death
– Cameron County: 1
– Carbon County: 164, including 12 deaths
– Centre County: 87, including 1 death
– Chester County: 1,214, including 81 deaths
– Clarion County: 22; including 1 death
– Clearfield County: 11
– Clinton County: 25
– Columbia County: 277, including 7 deaths
– Crawford County: 19
– Cumberland County: 282, including 9 deaths
– Dauphin County: 529, including 21 deaths
– Delaware County: 3,361, including 142 deaths
– Elk County: 3
– Erie County: 81
– Fayette County: 79, including 4 deaths
– Forest County: 7
– Franklin County: 227, including 2 death
– Fulton County: 3
– Greene County: 25
– Huntingdon County: 24
– Indiana County: 63, including 4 deaths
– Jefferson County: 4
– Juniata County: 79
– Lackawanna County: 833, including 63 deaths
– Lancaster County: 1,633, including 75 deaths
– Lawrence County: 63, including 5 deaths
– Lebanon County: 621, including 7 deaths
– Lehigh County: 2,636, including 56 deaths
– Luzerne County: 2,035, including 71 deaths
– Lycoming County: 57
– Mckean County: 5
– Mercer County: 65, including 1 death
– Mifflin County: 30
– Monroe County: 1,083, including 46 deaths
– Montgomery County: 3,817, including 232 deaths
– Montour County: 48
– Northampton County: 1,834, including 49 deaths
– Northumberland County: 90
– Perry County: 26, including 1 death
– Philadelphia County: 11,361, including 466 deaths (statistics from City of Philadelphia)
– Pike County: 352, including 12 deaths
– Potter County: 4
– Schuylkill County: 324, including 5 deaths
– Snyder County: 33, including 1 death
– Somerset County: 25
– Sullivan County: 1
– Susquehanna County: 81, including 4 death
– Tioga County: 14, including 1 death
– Union County: 31
– Venango County: 7
– Warren County: 1
– Washington County: 107, including 2 death
– Wayne County: 93, including 3 deaths
– Westmoreland County: 377, including 19 deaths
– Wyoming County: 18, including 2 deaths
– York County: 606, including 9 deaths
WHAT WE KNOW
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The vast majority of people recover.
The Centers for Disease Control has tripled the number of symptoms that could be indicators of coronavirus, including muscle pain, headache and new loss of taste or smell.
New symptoms include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.
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The Pennsylvania Department of Education has extended state school closures for the remainder of the academic year.
The school shutdown order affects more than 1.7 million school children, in public and private K-12 schools.
The city also continues to operate more than 80 student meal sites.
Philadelphia officials have issued a stay-at-home order and banned public gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Anyone with questions about COVID-19 can call the city's free 24/7 helpline at 1-800-722-7112.
Residents can also text the keyword COVIDPHL to 888-777 to receive updates through ReadyPhiladelphia, the city's mass communication system.
Philadelphia residents who have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak have access to free food boxes through community food sites.
"Providing this service to Philadelphians is critical at a time when many so many people find themselves in a difficult situation," Deputy Mayor Cynthia Figueroa said.
Residents can pick up a box of food on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at sites throughout the city. One box is limited per household. Residents do not need to present an ID or proof of income for eligibility.
Gov. Tom Wolf has placed all of Pennsylvania under an order to stay at home, dramatically expanding the geographic footprint of the quarantine as state officials combat the coronavirus pandemic.
After carefully shutting down the state a few counties at a time, Wolf eventually added all 67 of Pennsylvania's counties to his stay-home edict. The order will last through at least May 8, when officials say they hope to begin a gradual reopening process.
Regions of Pennsylvania that have seen a relatively low number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus might be able to reopen “in a fairly robust” way on May 8.
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Businesses that remain open to the public include grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels and motels, beer distributors, laundromats and gas stations. Restaurants are only open for take-out orders. The open list also includes farms, mines, food production and some manufacturing.
Car dealers, clothing stores and other retailers, salons and entertainment venues are among those on the shuttered list. However, Wolf stated on Monday that the state would be easing restrictions on things like construction and car sales.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (Office of Gov. Tom Wolf)
Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday set May 8 as the target launch date for a gradual easing of some restrictions imposed because of the pandemic, saying Pennsylvania had made sufficient progress against COVID-19 to warrant a gradual reopening of the economy.
All 12.8 million Pennsylvanians will have to stay home at least through that date, said Wolf, extending his existing stay-at-home order by another eight days. But he suggested it might then be lifted in areas of the state where the coronavirus — which has killed more than 1,600 Pennsylvania residents — does not pose as great of a threat.
The availability of diagnostic testing, the capacity of the health care system and the ability to quickly identify and contain flareups through what’s known as contact tracing will also play a role. The state health department will also use a new modeling tool by Carnegie Mellon University.
Health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said last week that contact tracing — identifying people who have been exposed to an infected person so they can be quarantined — will be “really important” as Pennsylvania emerges from a pandemic that has killed more than 1,500 statewide. But Wolf said Tuesday there’s no budget for contact tracing.
STATE TAX RELIEF
The Wolf administration said it’s easing up on tax enforcement during the pandemic.
The Department of Revenue said it will pause payments on existing payment plans on request; offer flexible terms for new payment plans; suspend or reduce automatic enforcement of liens, wage garnishments and use of private collection agencies; and take other steps to offer relief to individual and business taxpayers.
The measures will last through at least July 15, the agency said Wednesday.
The Department of Revenue previously extended the deadline for taxpayers to file their 2019 Pennsylvania personal income tax returns from April 15 to July 15.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.