No new cases of COVID-19 were reported in McKean, Elk, Potter or Cameron counties on Wednesday, according to state Department of Health data released at 6:30 Wednesday evening.
Thus far, 11 positive or probable cases have been reported in McKean County. The Kane area holds the bulk of those, with seven confirmed cases and one probable. Bradford and Duke Center each have no confirmed cases but at least one probable. The county is still reporting one death.
Potter County has four cases, with the Coudersport and Roulette areas each reporting between one and four positive cases.
Cameron County has two cases, both of which are in the Emporium area, while Elk County remains at six, with between one and four positive cases each in the Ridgway, St. Marys and Kersey zip codes. Ridgway and St. Marys are each reporting between one and four probable cases, as well.
Statewide numbers showed 746 newly reported cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 64,412 in Pennsylvania. There were 143 new deaths, bringing that total to 4,767. Thus far, 293,244 negative tests have been reported in the state.
Due to an error in the state’s reporting system on Wednesday, there was no media briefing held by the Department of Health. Due to that issue, numbers were not released until 6:30 Wednesday evening. The Department of Health’s next briefing will be held today.
Also, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced on Wednesday an initial distribution of $51 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support child care providers in the state, which total to almost 7,000.
The initial disbursement is the first of two, as Pennsylvania received $106 million in funding to support those providers. This first wave will be distributed to all eligible, licensed child care providers in an effort to help them reopen as counties move to the yellow phase.
Initial funds will be distributed to eligible, certified child care providers through regional Early Learning Resource Centers, which determined eligibility for the funding and amount of award based on the size and type of a provider, number of active enrollments in Child Care Works subsidized care, child care capacity and licensure status.
According to Wolf’s press release, the remaining funds will be allocated following a study which assesses the economic impact of the pandemic on the state’s providers.
“Child care providers are the backbone of our economy in many ways,” Wolf’s release said. “Without their work, children would miss out on an introduction to education that helps them throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and parents and guardians may have to stay home or not pursue education themselves. I cannot understate how valuable this work is to local communities and the commonwealth as a whole, and as Pennsylvania reopens, we need a robust and healthy child care system.”
