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SNAPShotsArchive for Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19
Wolf Makes Major Health Appointments
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has nominated Alison Beam to be Secretary of the state’s Department of Health. Beam, currently Wolf’s deputy chief of staff, is a graduate of the Drexel University of Law. If confirmed by the state Senate, Ms. Beam would replace Dr. Rachel Levine, who has been nominated by President Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Governor Wolf also has appointed Dr. Wendy Braund to be the state’s Interim Acting Physician General. Dr. Levine currently serves in that capacity as well. Dr. Braund, currently the COVID-19 response director in the state’s Department of Health, earned a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins and an M.D. from the … Read More
COVID-19 Update: April 13, 2020
The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania state and federal regulators, legislators, and others as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 13. Pennsylvania Update Governor Wolf Last week Governor Wolf signed an executive order to facilitate the targeted distribution of COVID-19 personal protective equipment and supplies among Pennsylvania health care providers. The Department of Health has published an FAQ on this executive order. The state also has published a survey for health care providers to complete to help it identify current resources. All covered entities – including hospitals – are required to report inventories of the specified supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. The state will update and direct completion of the survey … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020
COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30. To receive this daily update directly, sign up for our mailing list at info@pasafetynet.org. State Update Governor Wolf On Saturday the governor requested a major disaster declarationfrom the President to provide additional support for state, county, and municipal governments, certain non-profits, and individuals who are struggling during the COVID-19 outbreak. Over the weekend Governor Wolf expanded his ‘Stay at Home’ order to include three more counties to mitigate the spread of the virus: Beaver, Centre, and Washington counties. Today, he added four more counties to the order: Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin, and Schuylkill counties and extended the order to April 30 for all 26 affected counties. The governor’s amended order, … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 27, 2020
The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 4:30 p.m. on March 27. Pennsylvania Updates Governor Wolf Today Governor Wolf expanded his ‘Stay at Home’ order to include nine more counties to mitigate the spread of the virus: Berks, Butler, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland, and York counties. The governor’s amended order, the secretary of health’s amended order, and the stay at home guidance are available online. The order takes effect for these nine counties tonight at 8:00 p.m. and will continue for all of the affected counties until April 6. Today Governor Wolf approved and signed several bills into law to provide emergency relief to schools (SB 751), unemployment compensation rules (HB … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 26, 2020
The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 5:00 on March 26. Pennsylvania Update Governor Wolf House Bill 1232, which includes up to $50 million to help with the state’s COVID-19 response, is now on Governor Wolf’s desk and he is expected to sign it tomorrow, when he also is expected to sign three other bills the legislature passed late yesterday: HB 68 – amends the rules of unemployment compensation during an emergency declaration such as easing work search requirements and extending the length of time that benefits are available. SB 422 – amends the election code to move the Pennsylvania primary election to June 2, 2020. SB 751 – amends the school code … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 25, 2020
The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 5:15 on March 25. State Legislature Today the Senate passed House Bill 1232, as amended, which includes up to $50 million of additional funding to be made available for the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. The legislation stipulates that funding shall only be used to buy medical equipment and supplies for health care entities to meet urgent patient and staff needs to address surge demand. It also requires available federal funding and any funding made available through the governor’s disaster proclamation to be used before these funds. The authority to transfer funds expires on September 30, 2020. Senate leadership noted that this is the first phase in … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 20, 2020
The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania today as of 5:30 p.m. on March 20, 2020. Pennsylvania Administration Since yesterday, the Department of Human Services has issued the following four new guidance documents: Billing Guidance for Alternative Screening Sites Related to COVID-19 Virtual Drop Ins Mental Health Revised Due Dates for Case Mix Index (CMI) Reporting, Cost Report Submissions, and Nursing Facility Assessment Payment Plan Requests Interim Guidance on Visitation in Nursing Facilities During COVID-19 We notified you last night that the governor issued an order to close all “non-life-sustaining businesses.” Below please find two resources for additional information. Any business that would like to seek a waiver to the mandate to close can send … Read More
COVID-19 Update: March 19, 2020
The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania for March 19, 2020 as of 6:30 p.m. Pennsylvania Administration Governor’s Order Closing State Businesses Early in the evening, Governor Tom Wolf announced that he was ordering the immediate closing of what he called “non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania.” See his news release on the order here, the order itself here, and a list of types of businesses and whether they are or are not “life-sustaining” here. Pennsylvania Department of State Licensure Exceptions and Fast Track The Pennsylvania Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, in conjunction with Governor Wolf, issued a press release announcing that the governor had granted the department’s request for a suspension to … Read More