BETHLEHEM

ROOMS TO VIEW: Join a new twist on a Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites favorite! The Rooms to View Virtual Outdoor Room and Garden Tour brings beautiful outdoor spaces right to your computer. Explore a collection of spectacular estate and historic gardens and outdoor living spaces throughout the Lehigh Valley in this video series. The series includes not only the room and garden tours, but culinary and floral demonstrations, gardening tips, and a chance to purchase exclusive plants, art, and home décor. Tickets available on the HBMS website.

DARE TO CARE: Mayor Bob Donchez announced that due to COVID-19, his three annual Dare-to-Care community walks will not take place this summer.

SMOKE DETECTORS: If any resident needs smoke detectors, they should call the Bethlehem Fire Department during regular business hours at 610-865-7140 or visit the Fire Department webpage on the city’s website, www.bethlehem-pa.gov.

COMPOSTING: Mulch and compost are available for pick-up and loading effective May 28. The materials will be available Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The facility will be closed on Sundays.

People wishing to utilize the facility are required to wear a mask for their safety as well as the safety of city employees. People not wearing a mask will not be permitted to enter the facility.

YMCA: As we approach the first days of summer, the Y continues to be here for the community. Accordingly, please know the Y will not draft June membership payments. Membership credits for March’s two weeks of closure will be applied to all accounts the next time we draft fees/when we reopen. We value each and every member of our Y family, and we hope this continues to help you through the pandemic.

In the meantime, your Y team is doing our best to plan for phased reopening, in line with all CDC guidelines and at the direction of the State’s mandates. Please see the below update on our Summer Day Camp and Childcare Programs, which will be the first programs reopened once our area enters the Yellow Phase.

Keep checking our social media and website for up-to-date information. We appreciate you sticking by the Y during this unprecedented time; we’re committed to providing transparent information to our members as we move through June.

LEHIGH COUNTY

CEDARBROOK: As of May 18, both Cedarbrook facilities located in Allentown and Fountain Hill have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in both residents and staff. It is with this report that Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehabilitation reports the deaths of 28 residents to date who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. At this time, other residents have died were presumed COVID-19 deaths due to symptom profile.

Since their last report May 11 there have been six additional deaths of residents who previously tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a cumulative total of 28 residents who tested positive and passed away. There was no increase in the number of deaths of residents who were of suspected or presumed diagnoses.

This is the second week in a row where Cedarbrook experienced a decrease in deaths of residents who had a COVID-19 related diagnosis. Cedarbrook cannot report that this a trend at this point, but it is worth noting that the numbers of new deaths of residents with COVID-19 related diagnoses (actual + presumed) have proceeded from 16 to 12 to six in the last three weekly reports.

The PA DOH stated in the recent past, including in prior media reports, that a number of probable cases statewide will be investigated to determine if they are COVID-19 deaths. Out of respect for that state process, Cedarbrook currently reports 28 deaths of residents who tested positive for COVID-19 in total between the two campuses as of this date. Cedarbrook also reports that there may be up to an additional 28 deaths to date (unchanged since last week) in total between the two nursing homes during the pandemic that are of suspected/presumed COVID-19 category that could be counted by the state process. This includes residents who are of a similar symptom profile and even some residents who tested negative for COVID-19. Cedarbrook continues to list presumed/suspected deaths to be transparent.

It is pertinent to include in this report that a large percentage of residents who have passed away in total had resident wishes- based care plans of comfort care only and/or advance directives of non-aggressive treatment such as “do not resuscitate”, “do not hospitalize”, and “allow natural death.”

Regardless of category or circumstance, Cedarbrook continues to express condolences to families of all residents who have died.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

CORONER REPORT: As of May 26, data collected by the Northampton County Coroner shows that 207 people have passed away due to COVID-19 in Northampton County (184 Northampton County residents, 23 residents of other counties and states). One death from Washington Township was removed from previous lists after it was determined the individual did not have COVID-19. As of May 21, the Lehigh County Coroner released data of 42 COVID-19 related deaths of Northampton County residents. Residents: Allen Twp., 1; Bangor, 1; Bethlehem Twp., 52; City of Bethlehem, 13; City of Easton, 38; Forks Twp., 6; Freemansburg, 1; Hanover Twp.. 1; Hellertown, 5; Lehigh Twp., 2; Lower Nazareth Twp., 3; Lower Saucon Twp., 1; Moore, 1; Nazareth, 2; Northampton Twp., 2; Palmer Twp., 28; Plainfield Twp., 1; Tatamy, 1; Upper Nazareth Twp., 62; Williams Twp., 3; Wilson, 2; Wind Gap, 1.

Non-residents: Astoria, NY, 1; Bronx, NY, 1; Bucks County, 4; City of Allentown, 3; Lopatcong Twp. NJ, 1; Lower Macungie Twp., 1; Millersburg, PA, 1; Monroe County, 6; Montgomery County, 1; Phillipsburg, NJ, 2; Upper Macungie. 1; Washington NJ, 1.

Demographic data for 180 deaths reported by the Northampton County Coroner:

Average age of the deceased is 82.5 years

Gender – 52% Female, 48% Male

Race: 86% White, 6% African American, 2% Asian, 6% Hispanic

TESTING: In its first 13 days of operation, the drive-thru testing center at Easton Hospital tested 888 Northampton County residents for COVID-19, an average of 68.31 tests/day. The testing site was made possible by a partnership between Northampton County EMS and Easton Hospital. Northampton County used $150,000 in CARES funds to sponsor the tests.

The Northampton County sponsored COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Easton Hospital will be open until June 5th. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the main parking lot at Easton Hospital, 250 S 21st Street, Easton. The risk of viral transmission at a drive-thru site is much lower than at a walk-in clinic.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION: On May 21 and 22, County Executive Lamont McClure and the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), in collaboration with Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council, distributed 8,960 individual meals to the residents of Northampton County at drive-thrus set up at the Government Center in Easton and the Boys & Girls Club in Bethlehem. Each box contained a breakfast meal for four people. Approximately 440 people attended each event.

GOVERNMENT CENTER: the Government Center, the Department of Public Health building and other county offices will reopen to the public on June 8. Gracedale Nursing Home and the Northampton County Jail will remain closed to visitors and volunteers until further notice.

The Government Center was closed to the public on March 19 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Wolf has scheduled Northampton County to move to ‘Yellow’ status on June 5.

Anyone entering a county building must wear a mask and submit to a temperature check at the front door.

GRACEDALE: As of May 27, out of the 347 tests for COVID-19 administered to residents, 209 have been positive. Ninety-three residents at Gracedale are actively positive and 88 of those are recovering in house. Five are in the hospital and 60 have officially resolved. Heartbreakingly, 56 residents have passed away.

Out of the 700 employees who work at Gracedale, 49 have tested positive for the coronavirus. Thirty-seven have finished their quarantine periods and are back at work.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION: The Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), in collaboration with Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council, will distribute Operation BBQ relief meal boxes to residents of Northampton County at the dates and places listed below.

Thursday, June 4, from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at Gerald C. Yob Community Park, 400 Cambria Street, Freemansburg, PA.

Thursday, June 4, from 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. at Dimmick Park, 570 Durham Street, Hellertown, at the long driveway by the flagpole.

COUNTY PARKS: Certain park amenities WILL REOPEN as the county is moved into Yellow phase on June 5.

The county’s parks will adhere to the following restrictions per the Governor’s Yellow phase of reopening.

People with pavilion rentals will be refunded up to June 4. Pavilion rentals will be open starting June 5, with restricted group sizes of 25 or less until further notice. Each pavilion is a day rental and renters should accommodate schedules to adhere to the 25 or less group capacity throughout the day. Refunds will continue to be provided for those who cannot adjust their events to be in line with these policies.

All facilities outlined below will be open with appropriate physical distancing and adherence to Pa. Dept. of Health and CDC guidelines.

• Bathrooms – Open with daily sanitation. Informative signage required

• Picnic Aaeas – Additional picnic areas within the county’s parks will be distributed to allow for family style picnic areas.

• Pavilions – Closed to large groups of 25 or more. Limited amount of picnic tables present at pavilion locations for seating up to 24 people.

• Ball fields, Disc Golf, Tennis Courts – Open with all applicable guidelines implemented.

• Playgrounds – Single use structures are permitted within designated six-to-fifteen feet physical distancing, no large playground or interconnected units.

• Dog Parks – Open with all applicable guidelines implemented.

• Camping – Open to small groups of under 20 people, by reservation only (currently, camping is only permitted at Wy-Hit-Tuk & Bear Swamp)

• Events / Outdoor camps– Outdoor camps and events open with all applicable guidelines implemented. 1:10 teacher/student ratio, limited to 25 people per active use zone. Not applicable for indoor programming.

LEHIGH VALLEY

RED CROSS: The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations as hospitals resume non-urgent and elective procedures, increasing the demand for blood products. Blood donors are urgently needed to make donation appointments to prevent another shortage like the one that occurred at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Those who come to give will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, thanks to Amazon.

HANOVER (NORCO) TOWNSHIP

2020 CENSUS: Hanover Township is currently ranked #4 (4 out of 2,556) in Pa. with an 84.1 percent Response Rate. We need everyone to furnish information so we receive our fair share when it comes to funding.

Residents should be aware that there is a program where the census bureau calls respondents back to verify info to ensure accuracy, It’s called the coverage improvement program. The below link shows the number that the bureau would call from. Also, the respondents can call the same number, 844-809-7717 if they missed the call or to confirm the legitimacy of the call they received.

PENNSYLVANIA

TESTING SUPPLIES: Additional shipments of testing supplies have been sent to hospitals across Pennsylvania last week. Since March 9, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has distributed supplies to more than 60 hospitals, health care facilities, and county and municipal health departments to help test more than 67,000 patients.

STATE PARKS: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced a phased opening of all state park swimming beaches and some pools in keeping with Governor Wolf’s direction to ensure Pennsylvanians have opportunities to safely enjoy outdoor recreation and help maintain positive physical and mental health.

Effective June 6, all 58 state park beaches will be open to swimming. State park pools will remain closed through at least June 12, with most in designated yellow and green counties reopening June 13.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller reminded Pennsylvanians that public assistance programs remain available to families throughout the COVID-19 public-health emergency.

Programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other services established specifically in response to COVID-19, like the Emergency Assistance Program (EAP), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Recovery Crisis Program, and the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) programs. Each of these programs can help Pennsylvanians who have lost income or employment meet basic needs until they are able to start work again.

REMDESIVIR: The Department of Health distributed the third shipment of the investigational antiviral medication, remdesivir, to treat patients in the hospital with COVID-19. O May 22, 8,928 doses of medication were sent to 81 hospitals. The medication was sent to the department by the federal government on May 21.

SUMMER CAMPS: With an understanding of the need for Pennsylvania families to secure child care options this summer, the Wolf Administration has issued frequently asked questions to provide guidance to parents, summer camp operators, public bathing places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that provide necessary child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth during the summer months. FAQs are available on the Pa. Department of Health website.

JUDICIAL EMERGENCY: – In an Order issued last week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced that the statewide judicial emergency will end effective June 1.

As part of its Order, the court has directed that administrative orders issued by the intermediate appellate courts, as well as local emergency orders and directives, including those affecting time calculations and deadlines, remain in full force and effect until they expire or are rescinded;

In addition, the court’s Order gives authority to president judges to extend or declare local judicial emergencies. In districts under local judicial emergency, the court has specifically empowered president judges to:

• Limit in-person access and proceedings to safeguard the health and safety of court staff, users and the public;

• Suspend jury trials until they can be conducted within health and safety norms;

• Suspend statewide rules:

o restricting the use of advanced communication technology

o impeding local provisions for court filings by means other than in-person delivery

o pertaining to rule-based rights to a prompt trial

Additional information about the impact of COVID-19 on court operations is available online, at @pennsylvaniacourts and @PACourts.

EMERGENCY FUNDING: State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, joined her colleagues in unanimous passage of S.B. 1122 to provide one-time crisis grants to each volunteer fire and emergency medical services company across the state to assist in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

McNeill said the bill, which now heads to the governor’s desk for a signature, would establish the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program, setting aside $50 million in federal CARES funding for fire and EMS companies to provide services during the coronavirus pandemic. Forty-four million dollars of the funds would be used for grants to fire companies, with the remaining $6 million to be used for grants for EMS companies.

BUDGET: Governor Tom Wolf signed a state budget May 29 that will provide 12 months of sustained public education funding at 2019-20 levels and makes important investments in communities and programs to help begin to restore the economy.

The $25.75 billion General Fund budget in HB 2387 includes an additional $2.6 billion in federal funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act. The budget sustains funding at current year levels for Pre-K Counts and Head Start, basic and special education in K-12 schools, and higher education. The budget also provides $300 million from the CARES Act to make up for a decline in gaming revenue that annually supports school property tax relief for homeowners.

To help communities to recover, the budget provides $420 million to assist nursing homes with COVID-19-related costs, $50 million to help Pennsylvanians with food insecurity and $225 million for grants to small businesses through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

The budget also provides $625 million to counties through block grants to help address the disruption to their budgets from the pandemic. The funding will assist counties with the cost of purchasing personal protective equipment, help local governments, and provide grants to small businesses, among other options.

COVID-19 RELATED REFUNDS: Attorney General Josh Shapiro is urging Pennsylvanians to file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General if they are unable to obtain a refund from any business, including summer camps, due to a cancellation caused by COVID-19.

Shapiro reminds Pennsylvanians to follow these three steps when pursuing a refund:

• Review your contract, contact the business, and request a refund.

• If you used a credit card for payment, request a refund directly from your credit card company.

• If the summer camp or institution is unwilling to return a deposit or negotiate in good faith, file a complaint with the office at attorneygeneral.gov.

The PA Office of Attorney General has the ability to mediate disputes and help enforce Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law. If the service isn’t being provided, consumers are entitled to a fair refund.

Concerned parents and guardians can file a complaint by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov, calling 800-441-2555, or by filing a complaint online at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint.

FEDERAL

PAYCHECK PROTECTION: The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, announced $10 billion of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Round 2 funding will be lent exclusively by Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs expand economic opportunity in low-income communities by providing financial products and services for residents and local businesses. These dedicated funds ensure PPP funds reach all communities in need of relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.