They are particularly at risk of serious complications or death if they get the coronavirus, but if they refuse to work, they could lose their job and unemployment.
Spotlight PA
Posted inNews
Some Pa. counties push to exclude nursing home cases from reopening formula, but experts caution against it
Reopening too soon could exacerbate the already devastating death toll in long-term care facilities, experts say.
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Pa. had an early plan to protect nursing home residents from the coronavirus, but never fully implemented it
Similar measures to those envisioned were later put in place, but only after widespread outbreaks were already underway.
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Gov. Tom Wolf rejects GOP subpoena for business waiver records, but releases some information online
The information, published late Friday, only identified which businesses received waivers, falling well short of what the legislature had requested.
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Pa. extends eviction, foreclosure protections to July 10
The state Supreme Court previously placed a moratorium on such proceedings until May 11, as officials shuttered much of Pennsylvania’s economy to prevent the coronavirus from overwhelming hospitals.
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‘I’m trying to be transparent,’ Wolf says as his administration rejects bill to restart public records law
The governor championed government transparency during his campaigns, but now that commitment is being tested.
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Top Pa. health official says state won’t supply masks, other protective equipment to hospitals that resume elective surgeries
Instead, the state is focusing on providing personal protective equipment to nursing homes, which have been hard hit by the pandemic.
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How Pa. plans to keep track of the coronavirus after reopening to prevent another outbreak
Health officials said they will rely on a combination of partnerships with local hospital systems, voluntary tracking technology, and federal funding to hire additional staff.
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Pa. sets modest goal to conduct 8,500 coronavirus tests per day, far less than what some experts say is needed
A Harvard estimate says the state should test about 19,000 Pennsylvanians per day — or more than twice the rate of the Wolf administration’s plan.
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Pa. tax revenues plummet $2.2 billion as top state official warns reopening won’t end economic pain
Dramatic budget cuts or tax increases might be needed if Congress does not send additional, unrestricted aid to states.
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As Wolf administration fails to produce waiver documents, Republicans move closer to subpoena
The state’s auditor general said he has begun an audit into the controversial process, but won’t release the names of businesses that received a coveted waiver.
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Pa. to set coronavirus testing, contact tracing benchmarks just days before gradual reopening is set to begin
The state could need to conduct about 19,000 tests per day and employ as many as 2,000 contact tracers, numbers that far exceed current levels.
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Gov. Tom Wolf says he won’t abandon ambitious spending plan as massive budget deficit looms
Even before the coronavirus, Republicans expressed skepticism about the spending.
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Pa. senators threaten subpoena if Wolf administration refuses to turn over list of coronavirus business waivers
The administration has so far refused to release the information despite numerous requests from media organizations.
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Pa. coroners, health department at odds over how to handle suspected coronavirus cases, potentially affecting death count
By not acknowledging what coroners see as their legal obligation, the Pennsylvania Coroners Association believes that the state is risking a miscount of deaths, potentially misunderstanding how the virus is spreading and overburdening hospital staff with administrative tasks.
