BETHLEHEM

VACCINATIONS: Due to limited vaccine supply, the Bethlehem Health Bureau is prioritizing appointments for City of Bethlehem residents, Northampton and Lehigh County residents as well as individuals living in a county without a health department. If you live in a county with a health department, please contact your respective health department to schedule an appointment.

The Bethlehem Health Bureau will not be adding any additional appointment slots this Friday (FEB. 19) due to a vaccine supply shortage. We apologize for this inconvenience and will notify the public as to when we will be able to add additional appointments to our clinic schedule. Thank you.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

GRACEDALE ANTI-BODY TREATMENT: Gracedale Administrator Jennifer Stewart-King announce that Gracedale staff will be working in conjunction with St. Luke’s and Advanced PICC Support to administer Bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment, for residents affected by COVID-19.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins which mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful viruses. Bamlanivimab is an authorized treatment for patients with positive results for SARS-CoV-2 who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. It is administered intravenously in a single dose.

VACCINE FREE RIDES: Director of DCED Tina Smith, Director of DHS Susan Wandalowski and LANTA Executive Director Owen O’Neil announced Feb. 16 an agreement between the County of Northampton and LANTA. Senior residents of Northampton County, who are registered with LANTA’s Share Ride for Seniors Program, can get a free door-to-door trip to and from appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Approximately 8,800 seniors in Northampton County already use the Share Ride for Seniors Program. Anyone who would like to register may do so by calling LANTA at 1-888-253-8333, Monday through Sunday from 8:00AM – 4:30PM.

COUNTY PRISON: The Director of Corrections reports that, since the beginning of the pandemic, 173 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. One is currently in quarantine; 172 have finished their quarantine periods or are no longer at Northampton County Prison (NCP). Since March 2020, NCP has conducted 2,295 tests for COVID-19 on inmates. All new inmates coming into the facility receive a test before they are transferred to General Population; residents are tested on a random basis.

Fifty NCP employees have tested positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic. All have finished their quarantine periods and returned to work.

NCP staff have been given the option to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine; some have already gotten the shot. PrimeCare Medical is working with the state to make the vaccination available to all NCP inmates when supplies become available.

There are currently 526 inmates in residence at NCP. Thirty-one non-violent offenders have been granted extended furloughs.

LEHIGH VALLEY

CORONER’S REPORT: Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 16 the Northampton County Coroner recorded 114 COVID-19 related deaths in Northampton County (96 Residents/18 Non-Residents). As of Jan. 10 the Lehigh County Coroner reported 13 deaths of Northampton County residents. Between the two counties, 109 deaths of Northampton County residents from COVID19 have been reported this year.

In 2020, the Northampton County Coroner reported 403 COVID-19 related deaths (359 Residents and 44 Non-residents). The Lehigh County Coroner reported 118 deaths in 2020 for a total of 477 COVID-19-related deaths for Northampton County residents.

PENNSYLVANIA

WORKING FROM HOME: A new study shows that 95 million Americans, or 60% of the workforce, are unable to work remotely, and increasing COVID-19 testing at work would benefit the economy. In Pennsylvania, 64.8 percent of jobs cannot be done remotely.

While vaccines are the ultimate route back to normal, logistical issues and new variants mean the virus may be here longer than we anticipate. To get the economy working now, the data suggests it is vital for employers to increase at-work and at-home testing for employees to keep them healthy, so their businesses stay open.

NATIONAL

HOMEOWNER/RENTER RELIEF: To provide urgent economic relief to homeowners impacted by COVID-19, today the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced extensions of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) foreclosure and eviction moratoriums, as well as an extension of the initial start date of a COVID-19 Forbearance. Forbearance is an option mortgage servicers use to provide homeowners with a pause to their monthly payments for a limited period of time during a COVID-19 induced hardship.

Homeowners and renters can visit consumerfinance.gov/housing for up-to-date information on their relief options, protections, and key deadlines.