BETHLEHEM

DIGITAL EVENTS: Banana Factory digital exhibition: www.bananafactory.org/event/9797/peter-keady-smokeeaters/-d Chaplain for Palmer Municipal Fire Department and photographer Peter Keady’s exhibit “SmokeEaters” through April 26. Banko Family Room Gallery, Banana Factory.

Bethlehem Area Public Library: Visit www.bapl.org/events/categories/virtual-events/. Buildings currently closed. Visit www.bapl.org (main) or www.bapl.org/ssmain.htm (south side) for online books, activities, etc. Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites digital programming: visit https://historicbethlehem.org.

National Museum of Industrial History virtual museum on line: http://nmih.org. “Art of Precision: The Engineered Sculpture of Christopher Bathgate”.

YMCA: Announces the launch of Virtual Preschool Programming, a library of learning and activity videos for kids 3-to-5 years old, with an expanding collection. They’ve also compiled an extended list of Preschool content from other Y’s throughout the country on the Home Activities Resource Page.

Additionally, your Y is still doing its best to meet increased community needs despite dwindling resources. Over the past few weeks, we have:

• Added two new free youth supper meal sites

• Continued operating the Here for You Program, providing child care options for emergency responders and medical personnel. Program slots are still available – please find more information and registration paperwork on the website.

• Continued operation of the Bethlehem Affordable Housing Program.

• Continued supporting the homeless neighbors by offering shower facilities and grab-and-go meals twice weekly, as well as providing a hygiene station behind the Allentown Branch. They’ve also shared resources with other local partners, and continue conversations on ways to support more local efforts. Finally, they will re-open our Allentown Warming Station any evening between now and April 30 when the weather is forecast below 32 degrees.

Keep checking social media and website for up-to-date information. During these difficult times, they’re proud to be part of the community which is always stronger together.

LEHIGH COUNTY

BOGUS PHONE CALLS: It has come to the county’s attention that the main phone line (610) 782-3001 for the Lehigh County Executive Office has been spoofed by an outside source make fictious calls to residents. Be advised the phone line itself has not been hacked, but an outside source is impersonating their phone calls under that number. This is known as spoofing. Those who have received a call or message from 610-782-3001, should ignore the call and not give out any personal information. Rest assured; it is still safe to call into the main office number. However, please do not accept any phone calls from the line at this time. They are working diligently to resolve this issue.

CEDARBROOK: Last month Cedarbrook suspended regular group activities, discontinued visitation, worked feverishly to build up supplies inventories as much as possible during these unprecedented times, built a COVID-19 isolation ward, and initiated staff screening protocols.

Similar to many other healthcare facilities around the Valley and around the state, COVID-19 has touched the staff and resident populations at Cedarbrook. Cedarbrook continues to follow PA Department of Health (DOH) – Epidemiology’s guidance in any situations that affect staff and residents. DOH remarked that we are all working together for the long haul and expect to see additional cases in healthcare facilities. While there is no apparent indication at this point on the 4/7/2020 morning clinical report of widespread outbreak at Cedarbrook, last week they decided to take the extreme step of fully isolating each of the 15 units of Cedarbrook.

OFFICE ON AGING: Lehigh County, PA- As of Monday, April 6, Lehigh County’s Office of Aging and Adult Services is offering a new option for elderly individuals struggling with isolation and loneliness during COVID-19 crisis. On a weekly basis, those looking to have a caseworker contact them for check-ins and guidance can sign up to do so. It should be noted this is not a hotline service, but instead a weekly phone call made from a case-worker. This friendly phone call program will provide social support consultations, but also provide resources as well. The caseworker calling in will be consistent throughout the weeks, maintaining a steady relationship with the individual, along with understanding their current situation. If you or a loved one is looking to be added to the list of contacts, please contact Lehigh County’s Department of Aging office at 610-782-3034.

WARMLINE: The Lehigh County Warmline is A resource available to those who are experiencing loneliness, isolation, stress and anxiety. The Warmline accepts calls between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. seven days a week. Call 610-820-8451 to reach Warmline.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced in light of federal, state and local restrictions due to COVID-19, the office remains equipped to handle any requests from law enforcement for assistance, as well as respond to any emergencies.

All sworn officers, i.e., county detectives, are working as usual. The district attorney’s office will also continue operations, but as of March 19 with a reduced staff that includes one-third of assistant district attorneys on-site daily as well as two-thirds of assistant district attorneys working remotely. This ratio also applies to the office’s administrative staff.

The district attorney’s office will cover any emergency matters before the court.

PPL CENTER: Lehigh Valley Phantoms owners Jim and Rob Brooks are offering the PPL Center in downtown Allentown for use by Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) as a possible surge facility to care for patients, if necessary, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brooks said the arena is available, as it currently is not hosting events because of the directive last month from Governor Tom Wolf that nonessential businesses should close and that communities across the state should social distance and stay at home due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY COUNTY COUNCIL: Starting April 16 at 6:30 p.m., Northampton County Council will conduct its meetings by Skype. The meetings will continue to be livestreamed at Northampton County’s Youtube channel. The public may participate in these meetings by phoning 610-829-6605, and then entering Conference ID No. 2055694. The public is able to participate in these meetings by sending questions or comments to the Council Clerk, Linda Zembo, at LZembo@northamptoncounty.org. You will be able to review the agenda for each meeting on council’s webpage. Skype will show Council members when they are speaking. Northampton County Council last met March 19.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE: You can reach him online at the Northampton County web page under County Executive. His office has issued numerous statements, sometimes several in one day, as the County deals with the pandemic.

COUNTY COURTS: Currently operating under a judicial emergency in which all courts, including Magisterial District Judges, are closed to the public except for “essential” judicial functions like the protection of victims of domestic violence. Courthouse personnel are still working, though some are doing so remotely for social distancing reasons. Those with judicial emergencies can call ahead to Court Administration at 610-829-6700.

COUNTY TAXES: You can pay online, and the two per cent discount period has been extended from March 31 until May 31. The base rate applies from June 1 to Aug. 31, 2020. After that, there’s a 10 percent penalty. Dog licenses and fishing licenses may be still be obtained online. (Statewide Opening Day of trout season was scheduled to open April 18, but the Fish and Boat Commission opened it April 7, with no advance notice to the public.)

LOAN RELIEF: Northampton County has established a $250,000 emergency relief loan program for small businesses, with a maximum $15,000 loan payable over 12 months with no interest. Contact Community and Economic Development for details at (610) 829-6306.

COUNTY COURTHOUSE: Remains closed to the public until at least April 30.

HUMAN SERVICES: Accepting donations of tents, sleeping bags and non-perishable food to assist the homeless. Donations may be dropped off at the Human Services Building, located at 2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem, Pa. 18020.

RECORDER OF DEEDS: Though the courthouse is closed to the public, documents can still be e-recorded.

CIVIL DIVISION: Because the courthouse is closed to the public, the civil division is unable to process passport applications. Moreover, the office has no e-filing capability

ELECTIONS: Though the Elections Office is closed to the public, you can still register to vote, change your registration or request a mail-in ballot at www.votespa.com. The Presidential Primary has been delayed from April 28 until June 2.

OTHER COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS and BOARDS: No meetings scheduled.

JAIL: Covid-19 has infected three inmates. They’ve been quarantined since they first showing symptoms, and are being treated by PrimeCare Medical. Four staffers have also been infected. These include corrections officers and a PrimeCare employee.

Employees, volunteers, visitors and tours were banned at the jail March 10. Inmates may still contact their loved ones via phone, tablets or mail. Thirty-three nonviolent offenders have been released from the jail since March 31. As of April 8, there were 583 inmates at the jail.

GRACEDALE: Three residents have tested positive for Covid-19. Two are in an isolation unit at the nursing home. The third is hospitalized. Out of the 700 employees working at Gracedale, 10 have tested positive for the coronavirus. All are at home in self-quarantine. The facility has been closed to visitors and volunteers since March 11. Employees have temperature checked before being admitted and when they leave. Resident vital signs, including oxygen saturation, are measured at least once a day. Tablets are provided for residents who desire to speak with family. Exceptions to “no visitor” policy are made for compassionate reasons. Gracedale is accepting donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) like surgical masks and gowns. Please contact the Gracedale Volunteer Coordinator first at 610-829-3686 to see if your donation can be accepted. No resident has tested positive for COVID-19.

SENIOR CENTERS: Closed pursuant to Governor Tom Wolf’s directive. Referrals for Meals on Wheels will be made for seniors who require that service.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: A shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from PEMA and other organizations has been received to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The shipment including face shields, N-95 and surgical masks and gloves. These items have been distributed to the twelve EMS organizations in the county as well as to municipal police and those fire departments which respond to EMS calls.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Workforce Lehigh Valley reports 21,453 unemplyment compensation claims between March 29 and April 4.

COUNTY PARKS: Closed as of April 7 until further notice.

RECYCLING EVENTS: All events scheduled through April have been canceled.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY FESTIVAL: Rescheduled for Oct. 10, Louise Moore Park.

MUNICIPAL COOPERATION: County officials are working closely with local, state and federal officials.

CORONER: As of April 11, Covid-19 has claimed 23 lives within Northampton County. The municipalities in which they lived is as follows: Forks Twp. (1); Lower Nazareth Twp. (2): Bangor Boro (1); Palmer Twp. (6); Upper Nazareth Twp. (2); Williams Twp. (1); Nazareth Boro (1); Bethlehem Twp (5); City of Bethlehem (1); Washington Twp (1); Phillipsburg, NJ (1); and Bronx, NY (1).

Their average age was 78.

Gender of the Deceased: 57 percent Female/43 percent Male

Race of the Deceased: 74 percent White, 17 percent African American, 4 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 4 percent Hispanic

LEHIGH VALLEY

FLAG: Front Line Appreciation Group of the Lehigh Valley is a nonprofit group formed to support front line healthcare professionals and first responders by providing them meals during this global crisis. In addition, FLAG is economically supporting local restaurants impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The program is simple. FLAG collects donations to fund the purchase of meals from local restaurants who deliver them to health care workers and first responders in the Lehigh Valley. This provides an opportunity for Lehigh Valley families to show gratitude to those on the front lines of COVID-19, while providing economic support to local restaurants in the Lehigh Valley.

FLAG’s first meal delivery occurred on Friday, April 3. Union and Finch in Allentown prepared 75 meals for Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Cedar Crest location. The Bayou in Bethlehem prepared 75 meals for the LVH Muhlenberg location and Mission BBQ in Whitehall prepared the 35 meals requested by the LVH 17th Street location.

To become a member of FLAG of the Lehigh Valley and support front line workers, as well as help local restaurants who have had to close their doors, please visit FLAG’s Facebook page FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group) of the Lehigh Valley or send an email to flag.lehighvalley@gmail.com.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS: The GIANT Company announced today a $250,000 emergency grant program, in partnership with Team Pennsylvania, to support small businesses in Pennsylvania’s food supply chain impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are now being accepted online through April 24 from any small business involved in growing, making or processing food within the Commonwealth. The GIANT Company and Team Pennsylvania worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Economic and Community Development, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Chamber, and Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association to develop the program. For additional information on criteria and to apply for an emergency grant from The GIANT Company online, visit: https://teampa.com/giant-ag-grants/. Recipients will be notified in early May.

PENNSYLVANIA

SCHOOL CLOSING: Continuing his efforts to protect the health and safety of students and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf announced Thursday, April 9 that all schools will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-20 academic year. For more information, visit www.governor.pa.gov.

DISCRIMINATION: Governor Tom Wolf’s advisory commissions are calling for the public to remain vigilant against hate after the Pennsylvania State Police reported an increasing number of incidents targeting members of the Asian American community due to misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

HERO FUND: U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is joining U.S. senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Gary Peters (D-MI) in unveiling the COVID-19 “Heroes Fund,” Senate Democrats’ proposal for the provision of pandemic premium pay to reward, retain and recruit essential workers. Senate Democrats’ proposed “Heroes Fund” consists of two major components: a $25,000 premium pay increase for essential workers, equivalent to a raise of $13 per hour from the start of the public health emergency until December 31, 2020, and a $15,000 essential worker recruitment incentive to attract and secure the workforce needed to fight the public health crisis.

CHECK SCAMS: Pennsylvanians should take steps to protect themselves from phishing scams that are targeting people who are expecting a stimulus payment from the federal government following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Department of Revenue and Department of Banking and Securities. According to the IRS, some of the electronic messages associated with these phishing scams say, “In order to receive your stimulus check via direct deposit, you will need to confirm your banking information.” These messages are targeting not only individual citizens, but also tax professionals.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS announced the stimulus payments will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. Read the IRS press release, Economic Impact Payments: What You Need to Know, for further information. The IRS also said it would post additional information on IRS.gov/coronavirus as it becomes available.

PUC: In response to the ongoing threat to public health posed by the COVID-19 virus, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced that its next public meeting - on Thursday, April 16 - will be conducted telephonically. The PUC public meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on April 16, and members of the public, the media and others can begin accessing the telephone conference call starting at 9:45 a.m. that day. Interested parties can listen to the meeting by calling 1-888-917-8050, and then entering passcode 9570961#.

PRISONS AND INMATES: Under the authority granted to him by the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Emergency Management Services Code, Governor Tom Wolf today ordered Department of Corrections officials to establish a Temporary Program to Reprieve Sentences of Incarceration to help aid the department in the transfer of qualifying individuals to community corrections facilities or home confinement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Temporary Program to Reprieve Sentences of Incarceration Program only applies to state prison inmates who have been identified as being non-violent and who otherwise would be eligible for release within the next 9 months or who are considered at high risk for complications of coronavirus and are within 12 months of their release. Under the temporary reprieve program, approximately 1,500 to 1,800 inmates would be eligible, although given the reentry challenges of ensuring connection to the health care and behavioral health system, housing and food security, the number will likely be less than the eligible pool. The releases could begin as early as Tuesday, April 14.

PENN STATE EXTENSION

GOVERNMENT WEBNAR: Penn State Extension will be hosting the “Pennsylvania Legislation Update: How Local Governments Can Now Conduct Business” webinar to discuss recent legislation by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania that addresses the issue of local governments conducting business in a virtual atmosphere. This webinar will take place at 11 a.m. on April 16 and feature Scott Coburn, counsel and education director for the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. There is no cost to participate in the webinar. To learn more or register, visit: https://extension.psu.edu.

AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

ELECTIVE DENTAL VISITS: The American Dental Association has recommended dentists across the country postpone all elective procedures and appointments for at least a few more weeks.

Given that timelines with this virus seem to change on an almost-daily basis, it is unclear if that recommendation will be extended. Most dental firms have updated their websites to reflect this change but do not specify when regular appointments are expected to resume.

While scheduled appointments for routine cleanings and certain procedures are being delayed, the ADA recommends dentists shift their focus to emergency dental needs. Gehani explains in his statement, “Concentrating on emergency dental care will allow us to care for our emergency patients and alleviate the burden that dental emergencies would place on hospital emergency departments.”

AMERICAN RED CROSS

COVID-19 TEASTING SCAM: Scammers are already lined up to make money off the coronavirus. Please let your elderly loved ones know no one is coming door-to- door to home test for this virus.

Law enforcement and the Red Cross advise there are people in some areas going door-to-door saying they are authorized to do “home testing” for the coronavirus.This is not true. When permitted, the scammers perform a pretend test and charge for it or rob the victim. If someone like this comes to your door, do not allow them into your home and call the police. Advise your family to be on the alert.

GIANT MARKETS

CUSTOMER LIMITS: Starting Monday, April 13, the company will limit the number of customers who may be in a store at one time. The number of customers permitted at one time varies by location and has been determined based on several factors including occupancy and selling square feet. The company also requests that customers limit the size of their shopping party to one member per household as much as possible, as doing so reduces the overall number of people inside stores and helps support social distancing. To manage customer occupancy limits, a GIANT team member will be stationed at the front entrance tracking shopper flow. When the store has reached capacity, customers will be asked to form a line outside, while observing social distancing. As customers exit, customers in line will be allowed in the store.

DEADLINE CHANGES

VOTER REGISTRATION: As a result of legislation recently passed and signed into law, the Pennsylvania primary election has been postponed until June 2. Pennsylvania residents now have until May 18 to register to vote and until May 26 to register to vote by mail-in ballot. Another new law recently passed now allows anyone to vote by mail in an election. For more information, go to votespa.com.

TAX DEADLINES: To help those working to get their taxes completed and filed, the state and federal income tax filing deadlines have both been changed from April 15 to July 15.

Also, the deadline for seniors and people with disabilities to apply for the 2019 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31.

DRIVERS LICENSE: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is helping motorists by further extending the expiration dates for many of its motor vehicle and operator requirements.

• For driver licenses, photo ID cards and learner’s permits scheduled to expire March 16 through April 30, the expiration date is now extended through May 31.

• For vehicle registrations, safety inspections and emissions inspections scheduled to expire March 16 through April 30, the expiration date is now extended through May 31.

• For persons with disabilities parking placards scheduled to expire March 16 through April 30, the expiration date is now extended through May 31.

REAL ID: The federal enforcement deadline for REAL ID has been extended by one year. The new deadline for compliance is Oct. 1, 2021. At that time, everyone will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, to fly domestically or to enter certain federal buildings. More information is available at PennDOT.gov/REALID.