There were five more COVID-19 coronavirus cases reported in
Potter County on Monday, increasing the total count to 152, with three
COVID-related deaths. Four of the cases involve residents from the Genesee area
and the fifth is from the Coudersport area. The case count has risen by 25 over
the past 72 hours. Active case count in Potter County — those diagnosed over
the past two weeks — stands at more than 70. Click on the above graphic,
provided by the Pa. Dept. of Health, to enlarge it.
As Pennsylvania experiences a resurgence of COVID-19 cases,
Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced four new mitigation efforts:
-A new masking order has been put into effect. Masks are
required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home. When
outdoors, a mask must be worn if you are not able to remain physically distant
(at least 6 feet away) from someone not in your household the entire time you
are outdoors. When indoors, masks will now be required even if you are
physically distant from members not in your household. This means that even if
you are able to be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside if
with people other than members of your household. This order applies to every
indoor facility, including homes, retail establishments, gyms, doctors’ gyms,
public transportation, and anywhere food is prepared, packaged or served.
-Hospitals are to work through health care coalitions and
other partnerships to prepare for how they will support one another in the
event that a hospital becomes overwhelmed. Hospitals should also be working to
move up elective procedures necessary to protect a person’s health and prepare
to suspend them if our health care system becomes strained. Pennsylvania will
run out of intensive care beds in December if ICU admissions continue at the
current rate.
-Anyone who visits from another state must have a negative
COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering Pennsylvania. If someone cannot
get a test or chooses not to, he or she must quarantine for 14 days upon
arrival in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians visiting other states are required to
have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their return to the
commonwealth or to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. This
order does not apply to people who commute to and from another state for work
or medical treatment. To learn more on the new travel restrictions, click here.
-Colleges and universities should have adequate capacity for isolation and quarantine and should be prepared to enforce violations of established policies such as mask wearing and physical distancing. Every college and university should test all students at the beginning of each term, when returning to campus after a break and to have regular screening testing throughout the semester/term.
