BETHLEHEM

HEALTH BUREAU TRACING: The Bethlehem Health Bureau is currently investigating a case of COVID-19 associated with Dr. Sylvia Medina’s office, located at 2037 Stefko Boulevard, Bethlehem. The Bethlehem Health Bureau is currently working with Dr. Medina’s office to identify close contacts who may have been exposed. The health bureau and Dr. Medina’s office are releasing this notification to ensure that any individuals who were at this establishment on the dates listed below can take steps to protect their health.

If you visited Dr. Medina’s office Oct. 9, 13 or 14, please contact the Bethlehem Health Bureau at 610-865-7083. Individuals who visited the office during this time frame may have been exposed and should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure. Dr. Medina’s office is temporarily closed in order to ensure the health and safety of staff and customers. For more information about COVID-19, please visit the City of Bethlehem’s website at www.bethlehem-pa.gov.

LEHIGH COUNTY

CEDARBROOK: Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation has announced its investment in UV-C Air disinfecting units known as the GermZone 100UV. There have been various studies and articles around the nation regarding building-related COVID-mitigation improvements. In terms of general infectious disease mitigation, UV-C Air disinfection is proven technology recognized by ASHRAE.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique challenge to the nation’s healthcare environment. To make an immediate impact, the County of Lehigh and Cedarbrook will place a mountable plug-in UV-C system in every residential room and a variety of common areas at both Cedarbrook campuses.

This decision has come at the same time the CDC announced the potential dangers of airborne transmission for COVID-19.

The systems were purchased through a local Lehigh Valley company known as Advanced IAQ Solutions, Inc. and the technology and product information were assessed by a county-contracted engineer prior to purchase. Delivery and installation will begin over the upcoming weeks. For installation, the units simply plug into a standard outlet and can be mounted on the wall. Over 400 units were ordered for both facilities, with the potential of more to be ordered in the near future.

More information on the unit can be found on the company’s website at https://www.advancediaqconsulting.com/.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

DRIVE-THRU TESTING SITE: The latest data from the COVID-19 drive-through testing site at 3100 Emrick Blvd. in Bethlehem Township shows a 5.2 percent positive rate for the virus.

“When we started this collaboration, we had a positivity rate under 3 percent,” says County Executive Lamont McClure. “The trend is going in the wrong direction. I am tired. You are tired. We are all tired, but we can cannot give in or give up, yet. We are heading into the cold and flu season and the best thing we can do to protect each other is be serious about wearing masks, washing hands and staying six feet apart from one another whenever that is practicable.”

The drive-through testing site, a collaboration between Northampton County and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Coordinated Health Allentown Hospital (LVH-CHA) is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. The site is also open every Saturday from 9a.m. to noon.

A physician’s order is 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 is 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.

PENNSYLVANIA

LIQUOR LICENSE FEES WAIVED: Governor Tom Wolf has announced a plan to waive liquor license fees to provide financial relief to restaurants and bars, which have faced significant financial impacts during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Wolf is working with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to waive standard licensing fees through 2021 starting Jan. 1, 2021. More than 16,000 Pennsylvania restaurants and bars, clubs, catering clubs and hotels would see $20 million in relief.

The governor was joined by state Representatives Dan Deasy (D-Allegheny), Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny) and Jake Wheatley (D-Allegheny), and Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) at LeMont Restaurant in Pittsburgh.

As part of his fall legislative agenda, Governor Wolf has called on the General Assembly to provide an additional $225 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding in the form of forgivable loans and grants to small businesses in Pennsylvania through the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program. In addition, the governor proposed $100 million in forgivable loans and grants for the hospitality, leisure and service industries, including restaurants and bars, salons and barber shops.

The governor also supports the federal Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act. The bipartisan bill in Congress provides $120 billion to help independent restaurants with the economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PLCB ENFORCEMENT: Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control enforcement officers visited 473 licensed liquor establishments from Monday, Oct. 19 through Oct. 22 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 six notices of violation and 44 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements.