CMS hosts recurring online sessions to share information related to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.

CDC provides daily updates and guidance, including a section specific to rural health care, and a Toolkit for Tribal Communities.  New every week: MMWR Weekly COVID-19 Briefing is now a podcast series with the latest scientific information published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Unfortunately, efforts to pass an additional COVID-19 relief package have stalled on Capitol Hill. While there are rumors that a bill could still come together, they are largely just that: rumors. NRHA is continuing to advocate that Capitol Hill include a list of rural health care priorities in any potential COVID-19 relief package, but the prospects remain bleak. Instead, Capitol Hill’s attention has shifted to the September 30th federal funding cliff. NRHA expects a clean continuing resolution (CR) to be passed in the coming weeks, but the CR’s end date is still up for debate. Republicans are in favor of setting the CR end date in mid-December, while Democrats are hoping for a CR that extends well into the new year, likely February. NRHA will continue to keep our members apprised of any new appropriations legislation, which will likely come together in the next few days.

During Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) asked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield how the agency is handling unique rural challenges in relation to COVID-19. His answer? Rural partnerships. NRHA is thankful for the work being done at CDC and is excited to continue to work together to protect rural health.

HHS and the Department of Defense (DOD) released their joint vaccination plan ‘From the Factories to the Frontline.’ This plan was released after months of planning and gathering information from stakeholders in the wake of Congress’ passage of the CARES Act, which included Operation Warp Speed. Operation Warp Speed is the plan to advance and fund several different potential vaccinations in the hopes of identifying a viable vaccination quickly. In reference to rural America, the Administration displayed their commitment to equitable delivery saying:

“HHS is also committed to ensuring rural populations can receive the vaccine, and has decades of experience working with public health partners addressing the needs of hard-to-reach populations. CDC will work with local communities, governments, and other partners to identify the best places and times to reach this population and utilize strategic distribution points via community health centers, schools, workplaces, mobile clinics, and pharmacies.”

Six months after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf today highlighted the Wolf Administration’s efforts to respond to the state’s critical need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure that mitigation-related products, from masks and medical equipment to cleaning and sanitation supplies, are available, accessible and plentiful.

“In the early days of the pandemic, this administration took numerous steps to secure sources of PPE to ensure that Pennsylvanians were protected and that our health system was not overwhelmed,” Gov. Wolf said. “Our proactive and ongoing efforts to secure PPE, coupled with the flexibility and ingenuity displayed by Pennsylvania’s business community, helped us secure and allocate PPE. Because of the steps we took, our hospitals were not overburdened, and our medical system was not strained. Now, six months after the virus first appeared in the commonwealth, we can say with confidence that we are prepared to stay safe as we continue to fight this pandemic.”

Among myriad actions to support Pennsylvania’s health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Wolf signed an order in April to provide critical aid to hospitals with targeted PPE and supplies distribution.

The Wolf Administration is also working with eligible organizations that may be experiencing a shortage of respirators to connect them with the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS), which provides free decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators as needed during a time of crisis. The system uses a vaporous hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate up to tens of thousands of N95 masks a day.

“At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became evident that we needed to take definitive steps to acquire and manufacture PPE because we could not solely rely on existing systems to adequately supply the quantities we felt we would need,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “Without the combined efforts of multiple state agencies, strategic investment in Pennsylvania-based manufacturers and strong public-private partnerships, we would not have been able to acquire and distribute the critical PPE needed to protect our front line healthcare workers and first responders.”

The Wolf Administration created several opportunities to connect PPE-producing/distributing businesses to hospitals, medical facilities and other businesses.

The Critical Donations Portal was developed for individuals, corporations, or community organizations to inform the commonwealth of critical medical supplies available for donation.

The Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal was developed to source the most needed supplies for medical providers, emergency responders and health care professionals. This portal is for manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers to inform the state of supplies available for purchase and will allow us to more quickly and efficiently procure these supplies for hospitals and medical facilities across Pennsylvania.

The Manufacturing Call to Action Portal was developed to match manufacturers and distributors to fill specific supply chain needs to meet increasing demands for medical supplies and related products, assist manufacturers that have workforce needs or gaps and aid them in identifying skilled workers, and identify manufacturers that can pivot or innovate to fulfill the demand for medical supplies and related products.

The Business-to-Business Interchange Directory connects organizations and businesses directly to manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of COVID-19-related products and supplies. This directory is made available to entities that contacted the commonwealth through the portals.

These resources are all available through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

“Our businesses and manufacturers showed us what is best about Pennsylvania throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — our innovation and can-do spirit,” said DCED Sec. Dennis Davin. “Companies stepped up when we needed them, providing products to protect their employees, communities, and the commonwealth as a whole. Today, we thank and applaud them for those efforts.”

The governor and Wolf Administration officials held the news conference at Americhem International, a Middletown-based wholesale distributor of janitorial and sanitizing products that serves a variety of industries, including commercial cleaning, hospitality, healthcare and more.

Americhem, which offers a variety of COVID-related mitigation products, is on the administration’s Business-to-Business Interchange Directory.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today advised Pennsylvanians of a potential text messaging scam telling people they are selected to receive assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. DHS and other government agencies do not and will not solicit participation in SNAP or any other public assistance programs via text, and Pennsylvanians should not reply or share any personal information if they are contacted in this manner.

“We are all living through difficult times, and unfortunately, there are people who will try to take advantage of others who may need help meeting essential needs,” said Secretary Miller. “If you receive unsolicited or random calls or text messages telling you that you qualify for assistance then asking for personal information, it is most likely a scam. Do not respond, and delete the message so you do not get caught in an identity theft scam.”

The United States Department of Agriculture publishes information about potential SNAP scams, but Pennsylvanians should always be aware of the threat of phishing schemes through unsolicited calls and text messages.

Pennsylvanians who have questions about whether a call, text, letter, or other communication is legitimate should contact DHS’ Office of Income Maintenance. Clients in Philadelphia with questions or who need a paper application mailed to them should call the Philadelphia Customer Service Center at 215-560-7226. Clients in all other counties can call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930.

If Pennsylvanians need help purchasing or affording food for themselves and their families, help may be available through SNAP. SNAP helps nearly 1.9 million Pennsylvanians by providing assistance each month for groceries, helping households purchase enough food to avoid going hungry. SNAP is our country’s most important and most impactful anti-hunger program. For every meal provided by a Feeding Pennsylvania food bank, SNAP provides nine. While SNAP is intended to be a supplemental program, during a pandemic and historic unemployment, resources are strained, particularly for our lowest income Pennsylvanians.

Applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other public assistance programs can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. All Pennsylvanians experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic, a lost job, or a change in income are strongly encouraged to apply and see if they qualify for assistance with food, health care, and other essential needs.

For more information about food assistance resources for people around Pennsylvania impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic insecurity, visit the Department of Agriculture’s food security guide.

Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin reminded restaurants that the self-certification process begins on September 21. Through this process, restaurants may increase indoor occupancy to 50 percent and instill in customers and employees confidence that they can dine safely.

“Self-certifying your establishment shows your employees and customers that you care about their health and well-being, and demonstrates your commitment to helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth,” Davin said. “This process is a simple, commonsense way for restaurants to increase their capacity and put themselves on the path to financial recovery, all while taking the necessary steps to protect their communities.”

Social distancing, masking and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.

Restaurants that self-certify will appear in an Open & Certified Pennsylvania searchable online database of certified restaurants across the commonwealth and will receive Open & Certified Pennsylvania branded materials, such as window clings and other signage designating their certification, which they can display for customers and employees.

Restaurants must complete the online self-certification process by October 5. Business owners should keep a copy of the self-certification confirmation they will receive by e-mail. The self-certification will be used as part of ongoing enforcement efforts conducted by Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, and will be shared with the departments of State, Labor & Industry and Health, and other enforcement agencies.

The Wolf Administration has released Frequently Asked Questions as a reference for restaurant owners and the public, along with updated restaurant guidance.

Restaurants operating at 50 percent capacity will have their self-certification status checked as part of ongoing enforcement by these agencies starting on October 5.

Restaurant owners with additional questions about the self-certification program can contact covidselfcert@pa.gov

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf called on the General Assembly to provide additional funding for the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Program to support front-line workers risking their health to continue working in life-sustaining industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Pennsylvanians who work front-line, essential jobs during this pandemic deserve our gratitude and our respect, but even more, they deserve compensation for their hard work. The COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program was created to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors and to compensate workers appropriately for the additional hazards their jobs entail during a pandemic,” Gov. Wolf said. “The overwhelming response we received for this program shows a clear need for additional hazard pay funding, and so I am calling on the General Assembly to allocate additional and much-needed funds so that we can further support workers who put their health on the line to keep life-sustaining services operating for all of us.”

As part of his fall legislative agenda, Gov. Wolf is calling on the General Assembly to provide an additional $225 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to the state’s COVID-19 Hazard Pay Program, a reimbursement-based grant that was announced in July to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which administered the program, received more than 10,000 applications totaling nearly $900 million, of which more than 5,000 businesses requesting $300 million were eligible. Of those, 639 employers were awarded $50 million, supporting a $3 per hour increase in pay for 41,587 workers across eligible industries.

“The COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program is one way we can give back to employees in critical industries, because we know that these workers didn’t stop when COVID-19 appeared in the commonwealth. They continued to show up and help each and every day. From health care to food retail and manufacturing, security, and transportation — these are just a few examples of the industries and the people being helped by these grants,” Davin said. “However, it can’t be overlooked that thousands of Pennsylvania businesses applied for and deserved this funding. There is immense need for more resources, more assistance, more grant dollars — and the Wolf Administration is committed to finding additional avenues of support for Pennsylvania’s front-line workers.”

The governor was joined at a news conference today by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, as well as business advocates, business owners and elected officials.

CREDC is a DCED Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO), which allows it to administer DCED loan programs, including the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Program. CREDC applied for the program on behalf of 25 local employers. Of those 25, three Harrisburg-area employers were awarded hazard pay funding for their employees — Facility Concierge Services, a commercial service; Mom Foods Inc., a small grocery store; and Eisenhower Inc., a convenience store.

Gov. Wolf also supports the Heroes Fund, in the bi-partisan Federal HEROES Act, which would provide $200 billion in hazard pay to life-sustaining workers.

As part of Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s Administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure public health and safety and support economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today signed new orders following the recent announcement that restaurants may increase indoor occupancy to 50 percent starting Monday, September 21. The order requires that serving alcohol for on-site consumption must end at 11:00 PM starting on Monday, September 21 and all alcoholic beverages must be removed from patrons by midnight. This applies to both restaurants that do not self-certify to increase to 50 percent and those that choose to stay at 25 percent. There is no change to the requirements for the temporary sale of cocktails-to-go and take out alcohol sales from bars, restaurants or hotels with a liquor license.

“As we continue to take critical steps to continue to mitigate the spread of COVI-19, we also recognize that this pandemic has taken a significant toll on the food services industry, so we must balance public health and economic recovery,” Gov. Wolf said. “These orders give restaurants the ability to increase indoor occupancy safely while giving customers confidence when deciding to patronize a restaurant.”

The recently announced self-certification process will enable restaurants to increase indoor occupancy to 50 percent while adhering to mitigation efforts that will keep employees and customers safe. Starting September 21, restaurants can begin submitting their self-certification documents to an Open & Certified Pennsylvania database. ​

Restaurants that self-certify will appear in an Open & Certified Pennsylvania searchable online database of certified restaurants across the commonwealth and will receive Open & Certified Pennsylvania branded materials, such as window clings and other signage designating their certification, which they can display for customers and employees.

The self-certification documents and information about the Open & Certified Pennsylvania program will be available online on September 21 and will contain the following:

• A list of requirements contained in the current restaurant industry guidance and enforcement efforts;
• A statement that the owner has reviewed and agrees to follow these requirements;
• The business’ maximum indoor occupancy number based on the fire code; and
• A statement that the owner understands that the certification is subject to penalties for unsworn falsification to authorities.

Restaurants should complete the online self-certification process by October 5 when enforcement relative to 50 percent occupancy will begin. Self-certification will still be available after October 5.

Business owners should keep a copy of the self-certification confirmation they will receive by e-mail. The self-certification will be used as part of ongoing enforcement efforts conducted by Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, and will be shared with the departments of State, Labor & Industry and Health, and other enforcement agencies.

Self-certifying will not lead to additional inspections. The occurrence of regularly scheduled or complaint-based inspections from enforcement agencies will not be affected by certification status. In fact, certifying proves that a business is committed to protecting employees and providing patrons a safe dining experience. Any health and safety violations from self-certified businesses will be handled first with warnings and education rather than fines or other penalties.

The Wolf Administration has released Frequently Asked Questions as a reference for restaurant owners and the public, along with updated restaurant guidance.

Restaurant owners with additional questions about the self-certification program can contact covidselfcert@pa.gov.

Governor Wolf Order
Secretary of Health Order