May 15, 2020 4:02 am
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) – President Donald Trump says he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile. He says that includes bringing critical manufacturing back to the U.S. from abroad. Trump announced his plans Thursday while visiting a Pennsylvania medical equipment distributor. His comments came the same day a whistleblower testified that the Trump administration had failed to properly prepare for the current pandemic. Trump is also trying to convince the public that it’s time for states to begin to reopen, even as the virus continues to spread. He is calling on Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor to open up the state.
May 15, 2020 4:00 am
China’s foreign minister says the country has brought the coronavirus outbreak under control and he lashed out at foreign politicians he accused of having “insisted on politicizing the epidemic, labeling the virus, and smearing the World Health Organization.” Wang Yi’s comments carried by the official Xinhua News Agency appeared directed at the United States, where President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly castigated China for allegedly covering up the initial outbreak and has suspended payments to the WHO over what it calls a pro-China bias and failure to effectively deal with the pandemic. Other countries, including Australia, have also urged an independent investigation into the origin of the pandemic, calls that China has furiously rejected.
May 15, 2020 3:56 am
Under the yellow designation, stay-at-home orders will be lifted and gatherings of up to 25 people will be allowed. Currently, the statewide red designation bans all gatherings or outside trips that are not related to health, safety or going to work at an essential job. Here is what is allowed in the “Yellow Phase:”
- Child care is open, although businesses must follow federal and state guidance for safety, social distancing and cleaning.
- Most retail stores will be allowed to open, but curbside pickup and delivery is still preferable.
- Pet Groomers
- 232 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, including in our area, will allow limited in-store public access.
- Golf courses, marinas, guided fishing trips and privately owned campgrounds are opened statewide.
- Construction is now allowed statewide.
- Restaurants and bars will still be limited to carryout or delivery.
May 15, 2020 2:19 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf announced on Friday 12 more counties will soon be joining a multitude of counties that have moved in the “yellow phase” of his reopening plan. Wolf announced that effective May 22nd, Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne and York will be the next batch of counties moving to the “yellow” phase of his reopening plan. That means the governor’s stay-at-home orders are lifted and retailers and other types of businesses may reopen but with restrictions. Wolf though, said he hasn’t changed his criteria for deciding which counties can emerge from his stay-at-home order and his business shutdown order. His health secretary echoed that, saying the administration will continue to count cases in prisons, factories and nursing homes in a county’s total. That is bad news for counties that blame much of their outbreak on a single institution.
May 14, 2020 4:38 pm
BELMAR, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey’s governor issued long-awaited guidance Thursday to Jersey Shore towns on how to safely reopen their beaches as the summer season beckons amid the coronavirus outbreak. Democrat Phil Murphy directed towns to set occupancy limits that can vary by town; require six feet of separation among beachgoers except family or household members or couples; and suggested towns limit the amount of daily beach badges sold. Bathrooms and showers should remain open and be cleaned frequently. Amusement rides, arcades and fireworks are still off-limits, at least for now. Two popular beaches, Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights, plan to reopen on Friday.
May 14, 2020 1:37 pm
Authorities say the death of an elderly North Strabane Township man whose body was pulled from Canonsburg Lake Wednesday morning has been ruled a suicide. Authorities say the body of the 72-year-old was discovered on the Peters Township side of the lake near Dam Road. The Peters Township Fire Department was called to the scene around nine o’clock.
May 14, 2020 12:54 pm
(WPXI) – Pennsylvania’s second annual 1-4-3 Day will be held on May 22, and this year it takes on a special meaning during the coronavirus pandemic. 1-4-3 Day is a statewide day of kindness in honor of Fred Rogers, who often used 1-4-3 as a way of saying “I love you” on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, with the 1-4-3 representing the number of letters in each word. This year, Gov. Tom Wolf is encouraging people to show kindness and appreciation to essential workers and neighbors. If you need some inspiration as you celebrate 1-4-3 Day at home, you can check out Pennsylvania’s Kindness Generator, a tally of positive things people are doing throughout the day.
May 14, 2020 9:49 am
OAK PARK, Ill. (AP) – Worries about having enough to eat are adding to the anxiety of millions of people across the United States. That’s according to a survey that finds 37% of unemployed Americans ran out of food in the past month. And 46% said they worried about running out. Those findings come from the second wave of the COVID Impact Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the Data Foundation. The survey also found that 2 in 10 working adults said that in the past 30 days, they ran out of food before they could earn enough money to buy more.
May 14, 2020 9:49 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Nearly 3 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week as the viral outbreak led more companies to slash jobs even though most states have begun to let some businesses reopen under certain restrictions. Roughly 36 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the two months since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday. Still, the number of first-time applications has now declined for six straight weeks, suggesting that a dwindling number of companies are reducing their payrolls.
May 14, 2020 9:43 am
Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone wants to be perfectly clear; he is not advocating businesses reopen in violation of Governor Tom Wolf’s shutdown order. However, Vittone says it would take “extraordinary circumstances” for his office to become involved in such legal matters. Vittone, who is a Republican, was reacting to some two-dozen State Representatives who endorsed a letter to the State District Attorney’s Association urging that they declare they will not prosecute any citation related to the Governor’s order. Vittone says no such citations have been issued in the county to date. He also says that the District Attorney’s part in all of this is very small. According to Vittone, it would be the Governor’s office, State Health Department, or state licensing officials who would enforce such matters. Vittone says Washington County Presidents Judge Katherine Emery is to sign an order soon that will outline procedures in the “unlikely event” that such citations result in the county.
