COMMUNITY UPDATE
BETHLEHEM
MUSIKFEST: Wells Fargo is joining with ArtsQuest to offer a lucky winner the opportunity to have a concert in their backyard with family and friends. As part of the “Your HausPlatz contest presented by Wells Fargo,” Musikfest favorite Billy Bauer will present a backyard concert on Aug. 7. Fans can enter a contest to win this personal show by commenting on questions posted on Musikfest’s social media pages from July 17 to 26.
As part of the “Your HausPlatz presented by Wells Fargo” contest, ArtsQuest will share a series of questions via Facebook.com/Musikfest and Instagram.com/Musikfest. Musikfest fans are encouraged to follow along on each platform and share their response. One lucky winner for the backyard concert will be selected at random.
With Musikfest going virtual this year, ArtsQuest and Wells Fargo wanted to come up with a creative way for Musikfest fans to still enjoy live music by awesome acts. Billy Bauer is one of the more popular regional artists performing at the festival, having played the event more than a dozen times.
LEHIGH COUNTY
EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT: On July 10, Governor Tom Wolf announced $19 million in funding awards for Pennsylvania counties seeking aid through the Emergency Solution Grant CARES Act. Through this grant, Lehigh County was awarded $305,004 for homeless families and individuals affected by the COVID-19 virus. The balance of these awarded funds will be used to address the needs of Lehigh County’s homeless community.
Lehigh County Executive Phillips M. Armstrong and the Board of Commissioners approved the application and funding allocations. Lehigh County’s Department of Community and Economy Development will handle the distribution of the funds.
The Emergency Solution Grants CARE Act is distributed as follows:
• 63 percent to address homelessness prevention
• 22 percent to rapidly house those who are homeless
• 8.4 percent to provide emergency shelter services and street outreachThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) was signed March 27, 2020 in order to provide funding for communities directly impacted by COVID-19. This targeted funding will assist Lehigh County families and individuals who are homeless or are at-risk for homelessness as a result of the pandemic. Local programs that work toward mitigating the impact of COVID-19 will also be supported.
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
TESTING PARTNERSHIP: Lamont McClure and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) have organized a partnership between Northampton County and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Coordinated Health Allentown Hospital (LVH-CHA) to set up a COVID-19 drive-through testing site located at LVH-CHA at 3100 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, PA 18020. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.. The site is anticipated to open within a few weeks.
A physician’s order will not be required but, to be eligible for testing, individuals must report or display one or more CDC-recognized symptoms of COVID-19: fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or loss of taste and/or smell. The drive-through site will be open to everyone, but only residents of Northampton County will have the cost of testing covered by the county if they do not have health coverage. All testing will be through HNL Lab Medicine unless insurance requires an alternate laboratory. Participants should bring a photo ID and their insurance card, if they have one, with them to the testing site.
SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS: Lamont McClure, the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce announced the opening of the applications for $4 million in COVID-19 Small Business Assistance grants at a 10 a.m. press conference. McClure, Director of DCED Tina Smith and Tony Iannelli from the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce spoke at the event, which was held online.
Applications for Small Business Assistance Grants are now open. To qualify, a business must be located in Northampton County and have fewer than 100 employees. The grants can be used for rent, payroll and other operating expenses. Priority will be given to small retail shops, restaurants and community staples operating on a main street or in a traditional neighborhood and minority-owned businesses. The maximum grant amount is $15,000 per business.
The application form can be found on the DCED and at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce websites.
CORONER REPORT: As of July 14, data collected by the Northampton County Coroner shows that 267 people have passed away due to COVID-19 in Northampton County (240 Northampton County residents, 27 residents of other counties and states). 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, 2; Bethlehem Twp., 57; City of Bethlehem, 26; 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, 3; Palmer Twp., 29; Plainfield Twp., 1; Tatamy, 1; Upper Nazareth Twp., 76; Washington Twp., 19; Williams Twp., 3; Wilson, 2; Wind Gap, 1.
Non-residents: Astoria, NY, 1; Bronx, NY, 1; Bucks County, 4; City of Allentown, 3; Glen Garden, N.J., 1; Lehigh Co., 2; Lopatcong Twp. NJ, 1; Lower Macungie Twp., 1; Millersburg, PA, 1; Monroe County, 6; Montgomery County, 1; Phillipsburg, NJ, 2; Upper Macungie. 1; Washington N.J., 1.
Demographic data for 267 deaths reported by the Northampton County Coroner
The ages of the deceased range from 29 to 106 years of age.
Average age of the deceased is 83.0 years
Gender – 52 percent Female, 48 percent Male
Race: 89 percent White, 6 percent African American, 1 percent Asian, 4 percent Hispanic
Demographic data for 42 deaths reported by the Lehigh County Coroner
Average age of the deceased is 76 years
Gender – 43 percent Female, 57 percent Male
Race: 74 percent White, 22 percent Hispanic, 2 percent African American, 2 percent Filipino, 0 percent Asian
PENNSYLVANIA
FORMER GOVERNORS’ BACKING: Three former Pennsylvania governors voiced their support for how Governor Tom Wolf and his administration have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, including endorsing statewide mitigation efforts and mask-wearing.
“As a former Governor of Pennsylvania, I know all too well the importance of swift action to keep Pennsylvanians safe during a crisis,” former Gov. Mark Schweiker said. “Governor Wolf has worked throughout this pandemic to both safeguard our citizens and keep our economy moving during this hard time. Yesterday’s executive order is meant to help us all avoid the public health issues which we faced this past spring. These summer measures, as I see it, are part of a strategy to help us avoid a second public health and economic crisis later in the year. Wearing your mask amounts to saying let’s beat the virus now, not later when it might be too late.”
“All Pennsylvanians should heed the Wolf Administration’s directives to wear a mask when out of the home,” former Gov. Tom Ridge said. “Like all Pennsylvanians, Gov. Wolf and Secretary Levine are hoping to avoid the COVID-19 spikes impacting other states so that we can get our economy back up and running as soon as possible. Wearing a mask is a simple, selfless act all of us should support.”
“A global pandemic like this requires leadership and swift action to prevent devastating effects on our citizens and our society,” former Gov. Ed Rendell said. “Governor Wolf’s mitigation efforts have been both effective and strong, and, as a result has saved the lives of countless Pennsylvanians. The recent spike means we must pull together again as a Commonwealth to stop the spread of this disease and keep our citizens and communities safe. The Governor’s new executive order on mitigation is the right thing to do, is measured and Pennsylvania will be better and safer for it. I encourage all of my fellow Pennsylvanians to stay safe, to wear a mask, to practice social distancing, and to help stop the spread of this disease.”
SELF-PROTECTION: Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine warned the commonwealth is on the verge of repeating the pattern that led to widespread community shut-downs in the spring to mitigate COVID-19, urging residents to stop the cycle by wearing a mask and making important choices to reduce exposure.
The number of Pennsylvanians over the age of 65 who are positive for COVID-19 has dropped to about half of the overall cases. The number of Pennsylvanians aged 19-49 with positive cases now account for 45 percent of the total case count.
“Our experience from the beginning of the pandemic shows that first cases rose in younger people, some of whom became very sick, required hospitalization and went on to recover,” Dr. Levine said. “Then COVID-19 spread quickly throughout the community, impacting congregate settings like nursing homes where most of our serious illnesses and deaths have occurred.”
Dr. Levine encouraged residents to make the choice and avoid situations where they could be exposing themselves to COVID-19.
“If you feel uncomfortable with how close people are at the restaurant where you are dining, make the choice to leave,” Dr. Levine said. “If you are in a store where people are not following the mandatory mask order, make the choice to leave. And if you are getting together with people who are bragging that they are not changing their lifestyle at all and refusing to wear a mask, make the choice not to go.”
PLCB ENFORCEMENT: Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 3,904 licensed liquor establishments from Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16 as part of their regular work to ensure businesses are abiding by COVID-19 mitigation requirements that include social distancing, masking, and other health and safety requirements of the liquor code.
The officers issued 44 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements. Compliance checks are unannounced and can occur anywhere in the commonwealth, although the focus is on areas experiencing higher coronavirus transmission rates. Among other requirements, all businesses and employees in the restaurant and retail food service industry authorized to conduct in-person activities are mandated to:
• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.
UNEMPLOYMENT: On July 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released its employment situation report for June 2020 . Data collected for the June employment situation report was for the reference week of June 7 to 13.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down four-tenths of a percentage point over the month to 13.0 percent in June. The national rate fell 2.2 percentage points from May’s level to 11.1 percent. The commonwealth’s unemployment rate increased by 8.7 percentage points from June 2019, while the national rate was up 7.4 points over the year.
GAMING REVENUE: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported combined fiscal year 2019/20 revenue figures which runs from July 1 to June 30. The combined gross revenue figures include slot machine, table games, sports wagering, i-gaming, video gaming terminals (VGTs) and fantasy contests.
Total combined revenue for the fiscal year 2019/20 was $2,724,785,117. This is down 18 percent from fiscal year 2018/19, primarily as a direct result of casino shutdowns and other factors related to COVID-19 restrictions. This included closure of casinos for nearly three months, affecting slot machine, table games, video gaming terminals (VGTs) and retail sport wagering, along with the stoppage of play of major sporting events which affected all sports wagering.
HAZARD PAY GRANTS: Governor Tom Wolf announced the availability of $50 million in grant funding to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors across Pennsylvania.
Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Businesses may apply for grants up to a maximum of $3 million.
The following applicants are eligible to apply:
•Businesses
•Healthcare Nonprofits
•Public Transportation Agencies
•Certified Economic Development Organizations (CEDO)
Eligible Pennsylvania-based industries include:
•Healthcare and Social Assistance
•Ambulatory Health Care Services
•Hospitals
•Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
•Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
•Food Manufacturing
•Food Retail Facilities
• Security Services for eligible industries listed above and commercial industries that were not closed as a result of the Governor’s Business Closure Order
•Janitorial Services to Buildings and Dwellings
Grant funds may be used for hazard pay for direct, full-time and part-time employees earning less than $20/hour, excluding fringe benefits and overtime for the 10-week period from Aug. 16 to Oct. 24. Applicants may apply for up to $1,200 per eligible full-time equivalent (FTE) employee. Employers may apply for a grant to provide hazard pay for up to 500 eligible full-time equivalent employees per location.
Eligible applicants may apply for grants using the online DCED Electronic Single Application for Assistance located at www.esa.dced.state.pa.us from July 16, 2020, to July 31, 2020. Program inquiries may be directed to (717) 787-6245 or ra-dcedcbf@pa.gov.
COVID-19 TREATMENT SUPPORT: Governor Tom Wolf has announced the availability of $10 million in grant funding through the COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments, and Therapies (CV-VTT) program to support the rapid advancement of vaccines, treatments, and therapies by qualified biotechnology entities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This program is available to Pennsylvania-based entities that demonstrate both a financial need and a well-defined pathway to the accelerated commercialization of a new vaccine, treatment, or therapy in direct response to the fight against COVID-19.
The following applicants are eligible to apply:
•Colleges and universities
•For-profit companies
•Academic medical centers
•Nonprofit research institutions
•Economic development organizations
Eligible applicants may apply for grants and learn more about the CV-VTT program here. The application deadline is July 24.