¹ Total case counts include confirmed and probable cases.
² Negative case data only includes negative PCR tests. Negative case data does not include negative antibody tests.
Case data from PA-NEDSS.  Death data is a combination of PA-NEDSS and EDRS

¹ Tested per 100,000 residents represents the cumulative sum of tests within the specified geography

² Cases per 100K represents the 14 day sum of new cases per 100,000 residents’

State Coronavirus Updates

• 8.11.2020 Governor Wolf
  • Press conference around a manufacturing expansion that is focusing on COVID testing.
• 8.13.2020 Governor Wolf
  • Press conference regarding health disparities and the new task force who released a Health Disparity Report.
• Wolf and Lt. Gov. Fetterman Announce Pennsylvania COVID-19 Response Task Force for Health Disparity Report: In mid-April, Governor Tom Wolf and Lt. Governor John Fetterman announced the creation of a COVID-19 Response Task Force for Health Disparity to help communicate issues about how the pandemic is affecting the state’s minority and marginalized populations. “About a month after the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in Pennsylvania, I asked Lt. Gov. Fetterman to chair a new task force that would identify any differences in health outcomes for different populations,” Gov. Wolf said. “And to make recommendations to ensure every Pennsylvanian, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, has equal opportunity to survive and thrive during this pandemic and beyond.” Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020081376.HTM
• Department of Agriculture Releases COVID-19 Restaurant Enforcement Actions: The Department of Agriculture released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from August 3 through August 9, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social distancing, masking, and occupancy limits. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020081276.HTM
• Wolf Administration Reminds Pennsylvanians of Importance of Contact Tracing, Advises of Possible Scams: The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Aging warned Pennsylvanians about contact tracing scams and emphasized the need to stay alert as COVID-19 remains a threat in our communities. Scams might include a caller asking for someone’s Social Security number or payment for tracing services – neither of which are ever a component of a contact tracing inquiry. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020081280.HTM
• Governor Wolf Announces 2020 PHARE Funding to Support Affordable Housing Across Pennsylvania: Governor Tom Wolf announced recipients of a new round of funding for housing programs made available through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) fund. The governor named 214 housing and community development initiatives in 67 counties that will share a portion of the total $45.79 million in PHARE funding. The PHARE fund, which is sometimes referred to as the state Housing Trust Fund, is managed by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020081377.HTM
• Governor Wolf Announces Funding for Affordable Rental Housing: Governor Tom Wolf announced awards totaling $42 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits, $6.08 million in PennHOMES funding, and $12.6 million in National Housing Trust Funds for the construction of 36 affordable multifamily housing developments in Pennsylvania. The federal tax credits are administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and were approved by its board. Read more: https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/governor-wolf-announces-funding-for-affordable-rental-housing/
• When could your school close because of coronavirus? Pa. releases recommendations: Pennsylvania state government agencies are providing school leaders with advice about how to respond when students or employees with confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been on school property, from cleaning and tracing their contacts to shutting down buildings for two weeks or longer. Read more: https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/08/when-could-your-school-close-because-of-coronavirus-pa-releases-recommendations.html

Regional Coronavirus Updates

• Allegheny County Department of Health
  • There are 766 past or present hospitalizations (+11). In the newest cases (tested July 31 through August 13), ages range from 1 to 96 years with the median age being 43.
• North Hills School District
  • The North Hills School District will start the school year virtually. The district will remain virtual until at least Oct. 2, then it will move to a hybrid model if cases in the county are low and steady. Under the hybrid, half the students will attend in-person two days per week, and the remaining three days would be online. Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2020/08/13/District-opts-to-start-2020-21-school-year-virtually-North-Hills/stories/202008140005
• West Mifflin School District
  • The West Mifflin Area School District will start the 2020-21 school year with remote learning at least for the first nine weeks of the school year. The remote classes will begin Sept. 8. Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2020/08/13/West-Mifflin-School-district-plans-virtual-reopening/stories/202008140012
• Urban Redevelopment Authority
  • PNC Foundation Awards $10 Million Investment to URA to Support Equitable Initiatives Citywide – The PNC Foundation has awarded the Authority a $10 million non-revolving line of credit to support equitable economic recovery initiatives citywide. The funds will be dispersed as follows:
    • $6.5 million to be used for the COVID-19 Recovery Loan Fund
    • $1 million to be used for Catapult: Startup to Storefront Program
    • $2.5 million to be transferred to Invest PGH, Inc.- an emerging community development financing institution (CDFI) being incubated by the URA

Read more: https://www.ura.org/news/pnc-foundation-awards-10-million-investment-to-ura-to-support-equitable-initiatives-citywide

• Pitt-UPMC study: Repeat COVID-19 testing largely confirm initial results: A study of more than 30,000 tests for COVID-19 at Pittsburgh-based UPMC’s 40 hospitals, doctors’ offices and outpatient clinics in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland for the month ending May 3 found that the secondary findings rarely varied from the first results, according to a journal article recently published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The study also found that ordering repeat tests was uncommon among UPMC doctors during the month studied. Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2020/08/13/Pitt-UPMC-study-repeat-COVID-19-testing-largely-confirm-initial-results/stories/202008120128
• SEA seeks more than $20 million in pandemic-related aid for sports venues, convention center: The Sports & Exhibition Authority is seeking more than $20 million in government aid, with the bulk of it dedicated to making COVID-19-related improvements to Heinz Field, PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2020/08/13/SEA-COVID-19-Heinz-Field-PNC-Park-PPG-Paints-Arena-Lawrence-Convention-Center-Sports/stories/202008130164
• Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks: Natural resources across Pennsylvania are being taxed as thousands more visitors are turning to them for summertime recreation as mandates associated with the coronavirus pandemic have shut down pools, festivals and other warm weather activities. Crowd-related issues — litter, parking, venturing off marked trails — are affecting parks statewide and are more severe near bigger cities, said Terrence Brady, spokesman for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.Read more: https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/large-crowds-taking-a-toll-on-pennsylvania-state-parks/

Federal Coronavirus Updates

• Department of Labor
  • U.S. Department Of Labor Announces Guidance For The Lost Wages Assistance Program To Provide Needed Relief To Americans: The U.S. Department of Labor announced the release of guidance to help states implement the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program. LWA is authorized by Presidential Memorandum, and provides claimants in most Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs up to $400 per week additional benefits, starting with weeks of unemployment ending on or after Aug. 1, 2020, and ending Dec. 27, 2020 at the latest. LWA will be administered by states and territories through a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and with support from the Labor Department. Read more: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20200812-0
• Department of Health and Human Services
  • HHS Invests in Diagnostic Labs to Expand COVID-19 Testing Capacity in the United States: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced combined investments of $6.5 million in two commercial diagnostic laboratories to expand capacity to conduct up to 4 million additional SARS-CoV-2 per month. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. The investments in Aegis Sciences Corporation and in Sonic Healthcare USA will provide critical laboratory equipment supplied by Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Thermo Fisher Scientific and increase staffing and infrastructure to allow the U.S. to perform an additional 1 million tests each week by early October. Read more: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/08/13/hhs-invests-in-diagnostic-labs-to-expand-covid-19-testing-capacity-in-the-united-states.html

National Coronavirus Updates

• According to CNN, as of 12:45pm on Friday, August 14, 2020, there are 167,369 coronavirus-related deaths and 5,262,116 total positive cases in the United States.
• CDC Director Warns This Fall Could Be The Worst Ever For Public Health: The U.S. now has more than 5 million cases and 166,700 deaths from the coronavirus. And with flu season approaching, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Wednesday that things could get a lot more grim. Read more:  https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/13/902388083/cdc-director-warns-this-fall-could-be-the-worst-ever-for-public-health
• New Jobless Claims Dip Below 1 Million For 1st Time Since March: First-time claims for state unemployment benefits dropped below 1 million last week for the first time since the pandemic hit the economy in March. Claims under a special pandemic program for gig workers and others who are typically not eligible for unemployment also fell. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/13/902102168/new-jobless-claims-dip-below-1-million-for-first-time-since-march
• Canada, U.S. continue border restrictions into September: Canada and the U.S. have agreed to extend current land border restrictions until Sept. 21, top border officials said Friday. Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/14/canada-us-border-restrictions-september-395295
• COVID-19 Death Rate For Black Americans Twice That For Whites, New Report Says: Black Americans are becoming infected with the coronavirus at a rate three times that of whites and they are twice as likely to die from COVID-19, according to a new report from the National Urban League, based partly on data from Johns Hopkins University. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/13/902261618/covid-19-death-rate-for-black-americans-twice-that-for-whites-new-report-says
• NCAA Says No Championships This Fall, Except Maybe Football: In a video statement released on Twitter, NCAA president Mark Emmert says, “We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships.” He says there are not enough schools participating because of coronavirus cancellations and season postponements. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/13/902399127/ncaa-says-no-championships-this-fall-except-maybe-football
• Midsummer Shopping In Recovery Mode: July Retail Sales Rise 1.2%: Retailers had placed much hope on a big midsummer shopping spurt, but July proved to be somewhat lackluster, amid renewed lockdowns and new waves of coronavirus cases. Retail sales grew only 1.2% last month compared to June. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/14/901663621/midsummer-shopping-okay-despite-covid-spikes-july-retail-sales-rise-1-2