STATE: Pennsylvania COVID-19 Statistics per Pennsylvania Department of Health
Data updated as of 12:00pm on 4/20/20

STATE: Cases by Age Range to Date
per Pennsylvania Department of Health
Data updated as of 12:00pm on 4/20/20

STATE: Hospitalization Rates by Age Range to Date
per Pennsylvania Department of Health

Data updated as of 12:00pm on 4/20/20

REGIONAL: COVID-19 cases by county to Date
per Pennsylvania Department of Health
Data updated as of 12:00pm on 4/20/20

State Coronavirus Updates

• Counties home to more than a third of Pennsylvania voters calling for mail-only primary: Officials in more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties home to nearly 3 million voters are calling for an all-mail primary election. These officials, who serve more than a third of the state’s registered voters, say they know there’s a chance that a June 2 primary with in-person voting will be a problem if coronavirus restrictions are still in place. So they want the state to decide soon whether the election will proceed normally, be switched to mail-only, or be postponed again.. Read more: https://papost.org/2020/04/17/counties-home-to-more-than-a-third-of-pennsylvania-voters-calling-for-mail-only-primary/.
• Wolf Announces Nearly $16 Million in Funding for Pennsylvania Food Banks: Governor Tom Wolf announced on Monday, April 20 nearly $16 million in funding for Pennsylvania food banks, which are providing critical assistance to Pennsylvanians during the COVID-19 health crisis. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042093.HTM.
• Marion Center Bank Joins ‘PA CARE Package’ Initiative: Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced on Monday, April 20 that Marion Center Bank has agreed to join the ‘PA CARE Package’, Pennsylvania’s consumer relief initiative. By joining these efforts, Marion Center Bank, along with the Office of Attorney General, will ensure Pennsylvania consumers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for additional economic relief. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042073.HTM.
• DEP Announces Projected Climate Change Impacts to Support Planning for Pennsylvania’s Future: The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released on Monday, April 20  the 2020 Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment Update, projecting future effects of climate change on livestock, infrastructure, and water quality to support planning to reduce risk to communities and the economy across the state. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042093.HTM.
• Pennsylvanians Encouraged to Use Electronic Filing Options for PA Tax Returns During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Department of Revenue is encouraging Pennsylvanians to take advantage of user-friendly electronic filing options for their Pennsylvania personal income tax returns (PA-40s). Even though the deadline for filing 2019 tax returns has been extended to July 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filing now electronically is a good option, including for Pennsylvanians who are expecting a tax refund. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042079.HTM.
• Wolf Administration Announces First Round of COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program Funding: On behalf of Governor Tom Wolf, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin announced that 126 companies in 30 counties have received approved funding through a new program developed under the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority’s (PIDA) Small Business First Fund, the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program (CWCA), totaling more than $10 million. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042091.HTM.
• Pennsylvania Now Accepting Applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits: Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced on Monday, April 20 Pennsylvania’s self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, and others not eligible for regular unemployment compensation (UC) can begin filing claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. PUA is included in the new federal expansion to unemployment benefits provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042097.HTM.
• Wolf Administration Announces Business-to-Business Directory for COVID-19-Related Supplies: Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin announced on Monday, April 20 the creation of the Business-to-Business Interchange Directory to connect organizations and businesses directly to manufacturers producing COVID-19-related products and supplies. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020042098.HTM.

Regional Coronavirus Updates

• Allegheny County Health Department
  • As of Sunday, April 19, the Allegheny County Health Department says the number of coronavirus-related deaths has climbed to 50, and the total number of cases of the virus county-wide now stands at 1,035, including 1,019 confirmed cases and 16 probable cases.
• City of Pittsburgh
  • Mayor William Peduto is calling on the Trump administration to allocate $250 billion in federal emergency funding to be directed toward cities as part of any future relief package. In a letter sent to the White House on Monday, April 20, Peduto said cities like Pittsburgh often host the largest health system in the region and contain many of the personnel fighting the pandemic directly. Because of this, Peduto said, cities are in need of federal assistance to ensure funding can continue to support the services cities provide.. A copy of the letter is available at: https://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/redtail/images/9239_SIGNED_Trump_Letter.pdf.
• Port Authority of Allegheny County
  • Effective Monday, April 20, visitors to the Downtown Service Center are required to wear masks or other face coverings before entering the premises to comply with an order from Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine.
  • Effective Sunday, April 19, riders should wear masks or face covering when riding a transit vehicle. Riders who board without a face covering will be questioned by the operator and asked to cover their face while on the vehicle. Only those citing economic or health reasons may ride without a face covering. Children ages two or under do not require a face covering.
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
  • The Great Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will be holding a distribution event at Pittsburgh International Airport Wednesday afternoon.  The distribution will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Cars will not be permitted to park until 10 a.m.  For personal and public safety, in the event of an emergency as well as respect for fellow motorists, vehicles should not wait on the side of the highway or anywhere on airport property, including the gas station. No walk-ups will be served at the event.
• Fine Wine & Good Spirits
  • Fine Wine & Good Spirits is offering curbside pickup to customers starting Monday, April 20 at a limited number of locations. Each store will take orders by phone from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the store reaches the maximum number of orders it can fulfill that day, Monday through Saturday.  The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board said customers will be allowed to place one order of up to six bottles.

• Southwestern Pennsylvania
  • In recent weeks, lines in excess of a mile long have formed by people lining up at food distribution points across Western Pennsylvania. In this week’s Food Podcast presented by Clearview Federal Credit Union, Brian Gulish discusses the multiple ways those in need of food assistance can get it. More than 70 percent of people who have visited the food bank’s website over the past month are first-time visitors. In March and April, the food bank has spent more than $1.7 million on food purchases, compared to $550,000 during a normal 2-month average.

Federal Coronavirus Updates

• Department of Homeland Security
  • The United States, Mexico, and Canada have each agreed to extend restrictions on non-essential travel across their shared borders for 30 additional days.

National Coronavirus Updates

• According to CNN, as of 12:00 p.m. on Thursday April 16, 2020, there are 40,074 coronavirus-related deaths and 761,991 total positive cases in the United States.
• Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, Colorado, Indiana and Washington have all seen protests in recent days relative to their respective states’ stay-at-home order.  A protest is scheduled for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, today.

The Trump Administration and Congress are nearing a $450 billion agreement which would send about $310 billion more to the Paycheck Protection Program, which exhausted the $350 billion Congress originally allocated for it the week of April 13. The deal is also set to include $75 billion in assistance for hospitals and $25 billion to expand testing for the virus across the country.