Sen. Steve Santarsiero hosts Telephone Town Hall tonight
Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10) hosts a telephone town hall at 7 p.m.
tonight. His guest will be Jennifer Kitchen, MD, PhD. On the call, Dr.
Kitchen and Santarsiero will be taking the public’s medical and policy
questions about COVID-19 and the current state of emergency. To sign up
for the town hall or to submit questions in advance, visit
https://www.senatorstevesantarsiero.com/townhall/. To listen live on
your phone, computer or tablet, visit
vekeo.com/senatorstevesantarsiero.
PA Department of Health reports 1,579 new positive cases of COVID-19, bring statewide total to 14,559
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed that as of noon today
there are 1,579 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the
statewide total to 14,559. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania now have
cases of COVID-19. The department also reported 78 new deaths among
positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 240. All people are
either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital. The number
of cases per county stands at Bucks, 690 cases and 21 deaths; Chester,
355 cases and six deaths; Delaware, 898 cases and 20 deaths; Lehigh,
1,146 cases and 10 deaths; Montgomery, 1,359 cases and 30 deaths;
Northampton, 744 cases and 14 deaths; Philadelphia, 4,012 cases and 58
deaths. There are 76,719 patients who have tested negative to date. Of
the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as
follows: less than 1% are aged 0-4; nearly 1% are aged 5-12; 1% are aged
13-18; 7% are aged 19-24; early 42% are aged 25-49; nearly 29% are aged
50-64; and nearly 20% are aged 65 or older. Most of the patients
hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred
in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.
New Jersey reports 837 positive coronavirus cases in Mercer County
The New Jersey Department of Health announced that as of April 7 there
were 837 positive cases of COVID-19 in Mercer County and 24 deaths.
Trenton had 148 cases, Princeton 41, Hopewell Township 33, Hopewell
Borough two. No deaths were reported in Mercer County. The state total
is 44,416 with 7,232 deaths.
Hunterdon County, N.J., cases reach 236
In Hunterdon County, N.J., the total number of cases is 236, with three
deaths. Flemington reported nine cases, Frenchtown three cases; Stockton
zero cases; Milford one case; Lambertville nine cases; Alexandria
Township three cases; Clinton 29 cases; Delaware Township six cases;
East Amwell five cases; Kingwood two cases and West Amwell four.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals begins clinical trial for Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine
Inovio Pharmaceuticals created a potential vaccine for the coronavirus
on Jan. 10, just three hours after Chinese researchers publicly released
the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes the illness.
Now, it's starting human clinical trials for that potential vaccine,
INO-4800. The trial will involve up to 40 healthy adult volunteers, each
of whom will receive two doses of INO-4800 four weeks apart.
Bethlehem company earns federal grant to develop at-home COVID-19 test
OraSure Technologies of Bethlehem landed a federal contract from the
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop a
rapid in-home self-test for COVID-19. OraSure said it has a $710,310
contract from the federal Biomedical Advanced Research and Development
Authority to develop a pan-SARS-coronavirus antigen rapid in-home
self-test. The test uses saliva samples and provides results in 20
minutes. The grant will help OraSure file for Federal Drug
Administration Emergency Use Authorization.
PA Department of Health to provide more support for long-term care facilities’ COVID-19 response
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has signed a contract with ECRI,
an independent, nonprofit health services research organization based in
suburban Philadelphia, to help with the COVID-19 response across the
state, particularly in long-term care facilities, as the pandemic
continues. “It’s imperative that the state do all that we can to protect
all Pennsylvanians, but especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19,
and so the Department of Health made the right decision to enlist
experts in the field of infection control to help protect those in the
state’s long-term care facilities,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. With decades of
experience in assisting during outbreaks, ECRI will provide
individualized infection control and prevention assistance to long-term
care facilities in Pennsylvania. Staffers will be available over the
phone for 12 hours a day on weekdays and will coordinate with the
Department Operations Center, currently providing support to those
working in coronavirus response. ECRI will also help the department
evaluate PPE and research different ways to maximize available
resources.
Ciresi calls on community to sound bells in unity to thank first responders, health care workers
State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, encourages fire stations and
buildings of worship across Montgomery County to show solidarity by
extending appreciation to first responders, health-care workers,
educators and others for their service during COVID-19 stay-at-home
orders. First responders and religious leaders, if they choose to
participate, should activate sirens or ring bells for up to five minutes
on Monday, April 13 (fire stations at 7 p.m./ houses of worship at 7:05
p.m.). Similar displays have occurred in New York. “Since last month,
our citizens have shown tremendous resolve, kindness, and poise in the
face of unprecedented uncertainty,” Ciresi said. “I cannot thank our
EMTs, nurses, doctors, police officers, and all health and safety
workers enough for persevering in the face of this invisible enemy. They
are keeping us alive. So, I am asking for a public show of solidarity –
that we can all find joy in while staying safely at home.”
MCCC fashion design students to hold virtual ‘Sew-a-Thon’
With the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) now recommending all
citizens wear facemasks when venturing out in public to help curb the
spread of COVID-19, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) fashion
merchandising and design students and faculty will launch a virtual
“Sew-a-Thon” to help meet the local need. “This is a great time to band
together and do what we do best – sew,” said Katina Lindsay, coordinator
of the MCCC Fashion Merchandising and Design program. “So we thought:
Why not do something as a school, and as a community? Why not do
something that is community driven?” Lindsay, along with students and
faculty of the MCCC fashion program, will be hosting the virtual
sew-a-thon each Saturday in April from noon to 3 p.m., and invites
“anyone with a sewing machine” in the community to join in. Participants
can sign up at
www.mccc.edu/mask-team to receive the Zoom login
information. She notes that Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is providing
facemask kits, free of charge, as well as instructional videos on its
website on how to make them. Thus far Lindsay has made about 100 of the
masks on her own, which she has distributed throughout the community.
She said she is in the process of reaching out to community
organizations throughout the region to determine where the masks are
needed and will be directing items produced from the sew-a-thon to those
organizations.
Webinar slated for NJ businesses impacted by COVID-19
A special webinar, “NJEDA Programs to Support Business Impacted by
COVID-19,” takes place 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8. The speakers
will be Paul Ceppi, NJEDA managing director of finance and development,
and Congressman Tom Malinowski. The congressman will provide a current
overview of federal matters relevant to local business. Ceppi will
provide an overview of NJ programs to support businesses impacted by
COVID-19. Register at
https://hunterdonnjcoc.wliinc15.com/events. The
Hunterdon County Office of Economic Development and the Hunterdon County
Chamber have created a Business Resource page with latest information
to assist organizations. Visit
https://www.hunterdon-chamber.org/covid-19-business-resources.html.
COVID-19 complaint filed against Pennsylvania’s medical treatment rationing guidelines
The Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP), together with other disability
advocacy organizations from across the state, filed a complaint with
the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office for Civil
Rights challenging Pennsylvania’s guidelines for rationing of health
care in the event that the COVID-19 pandemic leads to a shortage of
health care resources. Pennsylvania’s rationing scheme titled “Interim
Pennsylvania Crisis Standards of Care for Pandemic Guidelines (March 22,
2020) (PA Guidelines), which were developed without any input from the
disability community, discriminates against and jeopardizes the lives of
people with disabilities, DRP said. The PA Guidelines violate Title II
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (ACA). DRP requested a determination that the PA
Guidelines discriminate against individuals with disabilities in
violation of federal law. The PA Guidelines unlawfully exclude or limit
individuals with disabilities from access to health care based on, among
other discriminatory factors, myths, stereotypes, and unfounded
assumptions about people with disabilities. Under the PA Guidelines,
people with disabilities are deemed to be a lower priority simply
because of their disabilities despite their ability to survive COVID-19
infection with appropriate critical care treatment. The Pennsylvania
Guidelines also raise concerns about the reallocation of ventilators
used by patients in their daily lives unrelated to COVID-19. Such
individuals must be allowed to continue to use this life-sustaining
equipment while receiving COVID-19 treatment at the hospital without
risk that they will be subject to the PA Standards’ criteria for
withdrawal of care.
Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf: Volunteerism remains essential with stay at home order in place
Today, Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf reminded Pennsylvanians that
volunteer efforts to distribute meals and other life-sustaining
services in Pennsylvania remain an essential activity, even with a
statewide stay at home order in place until April 30. She encourages
residents who are able to continue assisting local organizations with
delivering services to their communities, while also following necessary
safety precautions. “Although many of the state’s operations have
slowed down dramatically, we still desperately need volunteers to
deliver life-sustaining services to our fellow citizens,” stated Wolf.
“Ensuring that Pennsylvanians continue to have access to food, medical
services, and other essentials remains a priority for the
administration. As a consequence, we ask local communities across the
state join us with our work to guarantee that all residents receive the
services they need during this COVID-19 pandemic. The work that each of
us puts in each day to help our neighbors will determine how we fare in
this global crisis.” Several options exist for individuals seeking
volunteer opportunities in their areas, as well as organizations and
agencies in need of volunteers. The PA Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disasters, whose mission is to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania in
times of great need, has compiled a host of resources to assist
volunteer efforts throughout the state. Visit
https://pavoad.communityos.org/cms/.
Raritan Valley Community College creates 3D-printed face shields
Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey is joining efforts to
help those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic by creating
personal protective equipment (PPE) to be donated to area hospitals. The
college’s advanced manufacturing program has teamed up with Somerset
County Vocational & Technical High School, with assistance from
RVCC’s engineering program and the arts and design department, to create
3D-printed face-shields. RVCC was asked to join the effort in producing
the much-needed PPE by the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for
Clinical Affairs of Rutgers University. The PPE is being distributed to
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick and Somerset.
Production on the face-shields began March 30, and approximately 30
shields are being created each day. The goal is to eventually create 60
face shields per day, according to Conrad Mercurius, coordinator of
RVCC’s advanced manufacturing program. The devices feature a headband
and plastic face shield.
Correctional Industries is making COVID-19-related supplies
Beginning March 17, Pennsylvania Correctional Industries (PCI) stopped
production at its garment factories system-wide to focus on
manufacturing cloth masks to be used by Department of Corrections
employees and inmates. To date, PCI has made a total of 185,136 masks,
which have been supplied to all DOC facilities and offices, including
parole agents and parole supervision staff. DOC employees were provided
with three masks each, and every inmate was provided with two masks.
“Over the weekend, at the request of the governor’s office, we
manufactured and shipped cloth masks for essential commonwealth
employees,” Secretary John Wetzel said. Other COVID-19 related items now
being made daily by PCI include: 36,000 bars of anti-bacterial soap;
255 gowns; and 1,620 packs/27 cases of PDF-45 Disinfectant. Inmates are
working 12-hour shifts, six days a week to produce these items. PCI is a
bureau within the DOC that employs inmates to produce a variety of
items that are available for sale to nonprofit organizations and
government entities located throughout Pennsylvania. It is
self-sustaining through the sale of products and services and receives
no taxpayer money.
New Hope Arts enhances online offerings
New Hope Arts is continuing to enhance its online program with the
exhibition series, and new programs focused on art at home for all to
use and enjoy. With home schooling in place NHA will be posting
resources for parents to use for entertainment and education. Check out
NHAs new pages of resources and projects at
http://www.newhopearts.org/default.aspx?pg=1548.
YOBC continues mission during social distancing
Youth Orchestra of Bucks County is continuing to fulfill its mission of
creating opportunities for young musicians to achieve artistic
excellence through enriching classical music experiences. YOBC
conductors and staff are still interacting and communicating with
students but in a different way….”cyberly!” “We have embraced Zoom pro
and enhanced our website to create opportunities for student, staff and
volunteer communications, virtual meetings and to provide many musical
experiences for our students so they can continue to grow musically in a
safe environment. These opportunities include: virtual, interactive
workshops for YOBC students; live sessions with guest Maestros; a
special Awards Ceremony to honor YOBC graduating seniors, which will be
held via Zoom; orchestra auditions via Zoom with individual students one
on one; and enhanced emails, now two to three times per week, to
students and their families updating them on the new opportunities
available to them and providing additional exposure for YOBC sponsors.
St Luke’s one of first in world to pilot remote patient monitoring for COVID-19 patients
St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is one of the first
institutions worldwide to use Masimo SafetyNet to monitor in-hospital
patients, as the network seeks innovative solutions to care for the
surge of patients infected by COVID-19. Masimo SafetyNet is an
economically scalable cloud-based patient management platform designed
to help clinicians care for patients remotely in hospital settings and
in non-traditional settings and circumstances. The telehealth solution
uses a tetherless, wearable single-patient-use sensor to monitor
patients with clinically proven Masimo SET® pulse oximetry, and is
designed to help manage the surge in COVID-19 patients while maintaining
the safety of other patients and providers, allowing hospitals to
expand patient remote monitoring into alternative care spaces, including
overflow locations, emergency recovery facilities, and home care
settings. Designed to track the blood oxygen saturation and respiration
rate of patients who are hospitalized or quarantined at home, Masimo
SafetyNet combines tetherless SET pulse oximetry with a proprietary
remote data capture and surveillance platform accessible from a
patient’s Android or iOS smartphone or smart device. Monitoring key
physiological data can help provide clinicians with an accurate snapshot
of a patient’s systemic health and facilitates awareness of the need
for rapid execution of treatment decisions that can be life-saving.
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