BETHLEHEM

MASKS AT THE YMCA: Effective Wednesday, Aug. 12 face masks must be worn at ALL TIMES while in any of our Y facilities.

On Aug. 11 the YMCA was visited by the local health department and they are strictly enforcing Governor Tom Wolf’s order.

This will include all areas of the facility including workout times but excludes pool usage.

If you have an exception to the face covering requirement, such as a medical condition, please inform Welcome Center staff.

The Y is not required to have any proof of a medical condition, but will document requests… so that if the Health Department returns, they can show who in the wellness center has requested an exemption.

COVID-19 TESTING: OraSure Technologies Inc., a developer and manufacturer of rapid diagnostic tests, collection and stabilization devices headquartered in Northampton County, will expand its manufacturing operations in the Lehigh Valley, creating 177 new, full-time jobs and retaining 233 jobs.

OraSure (NASDAQ: OSUR) is developing a rapid antigen self-test that would detect active COVID-19 infection with no need to transport samples to a lab for processing. Individuals would be able to easily self-collect a sample and read the results themselves a short time later. The company intends to submit the antigen test to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization, allowing for the rapid self-test to debut into the U.S. market.

OraSure is also developing a highly accurate, lab-based Antibody ELISA Test that would detect prior COVID-19 infection. The company plans to submit the ELISA test to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization.

LEHIGH COUNTY

RENTERS’ ASSISTANCE: Renters who were financially impacted by the economic slowdown related to the coronavirus pandemic can now get CARES financial assistance to help with the payment of past-due rent. Applications and helpful information are available from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s website at https://www.phfa.org/pacares/rent.aspx. PHFA is coordinating the program statewide and the three agencies listed below are processing applications for residents in Lehigh County.

For renters to be eligible for financial assistance under the CARES Rent Relief Program, they will need to document at least a 30 percent reduction in annual income since March 1 related to COVID-19, or they must have become unemployed after March 1. If unemployed, they must have filed for unemployment compensation with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Their household income cannot exceed the Area Median Income for their county of residence, adjusted for the number of people in their home.

For more information, visit PHFA’s website listed above. Questions may be directed to PHFA’s call center weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The toll-free number is 1-855-U-Are-Home (827-3466).

NONPROFIT RELIEF: Effective Friday, Aug. 14, the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners voted to create funding streams to provide relief for nonprofits, tourism, regional entities and educational and workforce entities. This is in addition to a fund already established to provide emergency aid for small businesses.

The source of funds for these programs is the Lehigh County COVID-19 Block Grant. Applications for relief from these grant funds must directly correlate with COVID-19 expenses. All related expenses can be charged from March 1, 2020 to Dec. 30, 2020. All COVID-19 grant funds MUST be spent by Dec. 30, 2020.

Applications for all Lehigh County COVID-19 Relief grant programs can be found on the Lehigh County website at lehighcounty.org .

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

RECYCLING EVENTS: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and new Pa. Department of Health (DOH) regulations, Northampton County is canceling the September and October events for recycling electronics and shredding documents. The county hopes to offer these services again in 2021 after developing a pre-registration plan which will require appointment times being assigned to all attendees.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS: On Aug. 14, the Northampton County Fiscal Affairs Department mailed out $4 million in Small Business Assistance (SBA) Grants to approximately 300 Northampton County businesses. Northampton County Council approved the distribution of $4 million in CARES Act funds at their July 2 meeting. Applications were reviewed by a committee that included three members of county council.

Recipients of the grants include restaurants, hair salons and dentists. To qualify for a grant, a business must be located in Northampton County and have fewer than 100 employees. The funds can be used for rent, payroll and other operating expenses. The maximum grant amount was $15,000 per business.

CORONER’S REPORT: As of Aug. 10, data collected by the Northampton County Coroner shows that 279 people have passed away due to COVID-19 in Northampton County (251 Northampton County residents, 28 residents of other counties and states).

As of July 14, the Lehigh County Coroner released data of 55 COVID-19 related deaths of Northampton County residents.

Residents: Allen Twp., 1; Bangor, 2; Bath,1; Bethlehem Twp., 59; City of Bethlehem, 29; City of Easton, 39; Forks Twp., 6; Freemansburg, 1; Hanover Twp., 1; Hellertown, 11; Lehigh Twp., 2; Lower Nazareth Twp., 3; Lower Saucon Twp., 2; Moore, 1; Nazareth, 2; Northampton, 3; Palmer Twp., 31; Plainfield Twp., 1; Tatamy, 1; Upper Nazareth Twp., 82; Washington Twp., 21; Williams Twp., 3; Wilson, 3; 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; Schuylkill County, 1; South Whitehall Twp., 1; Upper Macungie Twp., 1; Washington NJ, 1.

Demographic data for 279 deaths reported by the Northampton County Coroner

The ages of the deceased range from 29 to 106 years.

Average age of the deceased is 83.2 years

Gender – 53% Female, 47% Male

Race: 88% White, 6% African American, 2% Asian, 4% Hispanic

Demographic data for 55 deaths reported by the Lehigh County Coroner

The ages of the deceased range from 43 to 98 years.

Average age of the deceased is 77.3 years

Gender – 44% Female, 56% Male

Race: 80% White, 16% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Filipino, 0% Asian

LEHIGH VALLEY

PPL ELECTRIC BILL AID: Financial challenges continue to grow for many as more jobs are lost and lives are upended.

PPL wants you to know that they’ve expanded programs and payment plans for those who need help during these times. Regardless of your income or circumstances, they can help reduce your burden and keep you from falling too far behind.

They added funds to Operation HELP assistance program, and expanded eligibility for other programs that offer reduced payments and debt forgiveness. They also can help with payment arrangements, moving your bill due date to better align with your finances and budget billing.

Summer means more power use, particularly for air conditioning. The heat and humidityy, plus the fact that many people are spending more time at home, means electric bills may be higher than usual.

Getting help with your electric bill means peace of mind in uncertain times. Visit pplelectric.com/billhelp today or call 1-800-342-5775 to learn more.

PENNSYLVANIA

SUPPORT HELPLINE: Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller reminded Pennsylvanians struggling with anxiety and other challenging emotions due to the COVID-19 emergency that they do not have to face things alone,” help is available.

In early April, DHS launched the Support & Referral Helpline, a free resource staffed by skilled and compassionate caseworkers available to counsel Pennsylvanians.

The helpline can be reached toll-free, 24/7 at 1-855-284-2494. For TTY, dial 724-631-5600.

VETERANS: The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ (DMVA) commitment to provide benefits to the state’s nearly 800,000 veterans during COVID-19 has yielded stronger collaboration with county and federal advocates.

For veterans, filing for state and federal benefits often begins with meeting with their county director of veterans affairs. The DMVA has provided counties with extra assistance responding to veterans to assure their needs are met during the pandemic. This has been done mostly through the use of virtual technology and closer coordination with the county and service organization veteran service officers.

For more about the DMVA visit online at www.dmva.pa.gov or follow at www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva.

HOUSING AUTHORITY FUNDS: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Joe DeFelice announced nearly $15 million in CARES Act funding to help families living in public housing across Pennsylvania during the coronavirus pandemic. The funding, made available by the CARES Act legislation President Trump signed into law on March 27, 2020, will be awarded to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) in the commonwealth. See national list of funding recipients.

In May, HUD initially awarded $12 million to help PHAs in the commonwealth prevent, prepare for and respond to the pandemic. These funds, as well as those awarded recently, can be used for traditional administrative fees as well as for new costs related to keeping HUD-assisted families and individuals safe – those receiving assistance through HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Mainstream Voucher programs.

For more information on HUD’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the actions the department has taken, please visit HUD.gov/coronavirus. PHAs across the nation have jumped into action to help assist their tenants and their communities during this unprecedented time. Read more about their stories featured in HUD’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors campaign in the Mid-Atlantic region.

NURSING HOMES: In the July 2020 report, Pennsylvania Department of Health nursing home surveyors conducted 330 inspections of nursing homes, including 295 complaint investigations. Of these, 227 were COVID-19 specific. In addition, one sanction was finalized against a nursing care facility, which included the issuance of a civil penalties totaling $9,250.

More information regarding case information for all nursing homes, guidance provided to nursing homes, the orders in place, fact sheets and frequently asked questions documents to assist in regard to what is being done by the state to assist nursing homes can be found on the department’s COVID-19 nursing home page.

PLCB CHECKS: Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 1,184 licensed liquor establishments from Friday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16 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.

Liquor Control Enforcement Officers issued seven notices of violation and 37 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements.

Violators may face administrative citation by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. Continued violations put an establishment’s liquor license at risk, either through the citation process or upon application for renewal. More information is available on the enforcement page of the state police COVID-19 portal.