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Click here to find the latest information on coronavirus from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Updates:

• PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced that her office will be holding an online auction of unclaimed property tomorrow and Thursday. Examples of items include one-ounce gold bars, Rolex watches, and African gold coins.
• Environmentalist outcry….A subsidiary of New Fortress Energy Inc. agreed to pull the plug on its Bradford County liquified natural gas plant in an agreement with a coalition of environmental groups that filed suit seeking to overturn the company’s air emissions permit.
• Portion of Route 287 to close this week in Piatt Township, Lycoming County.
• Experience the fresh flavors of the Susquehanna River Valley.

JUST IN:  Grants Announced to Boost Regional Broadband in Bradford, Lycoming Counties

Claverack Communications, LLC and Comcast Cable Communications, LLC today were awarded state funds to assist with broadband expansion projects in Bradford and Lycoming counties.

This funding demonstrates the state’s commitment to delivering equitable broadband service across the Commonwealth. Research shows both rural and urban residents lack access to reliable broadband, despite being willing to pay for it. These grants will ensure our communities can have highspeed internet at a reasonable price and close the longstanding digital divide that has stifled educational opportunities and economic growth for far too long.

Claverack’s President & CEO Steven Allabaugh noted, “Claverack is committed to delivering unserved and underserved members in our rural community the same quality broadband services available in metropolitan areas.  Programs like Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program (UHSB) are exactly what is going help narrow the digital divide.” READ MORE

How to Protect Yourself Against Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease and the rare but dangerous Deer Tick Virus (DTV) have been found in ticks at high levels for the first time in multiple locations around the state. 

The Deer Tick Virus is rare in the United States, but positive cases have increased in recent years. Initial symptoms of a DTV infection may include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Some people who are infected with DTV experience no symptoms, and therefore infection may go undetected. However, 91% of patients treated for DTV infections develop severe neuroinvasive disease. 

Recommended precautions for anyone venturing outdoors include:

• Apply tick repellents containing permethrin to clothing, and EPA-registered insect repellents such as DEET to exposed skin before entering the outdoors.
• Wear light colored outer clothing and tuck shirts into pants, and pants into socks.
• Walk in the centers of trails and avoid wooded and brushy areas with low-growing vegetation and tall grasses.
• After returning home, remove all clothing, take a shower and place clothing into the dryer on high heat to kill any lingering ticks. Examine gear, such as backpacks, for ticks.
• Conduct a full-body tick check.
• Check over any pets exposed to likely tick habitats each time they return indoors.
• If a tick is found attached to your skin, use tweezers to remove it carefully, including the head. Monitor for symptoms and contact your doctor with any questions.

For more information about tickborne disease prevention, visit Department of Health’s Tickborne Diseases website.

Access Nursing Home Inspections Online

Pennsylvanians with loved ones in long-term care can access a searchable database of nursing homes to view the results of inspections and complaint investigations.

The database includes patient care surveys, building safety surveys, size of the nursing home, type of ownership and additional information about each of the nursing homes in the state. The Department of Health oversees 688 nursing homes with more than 88,000 beds.

If you see something that may jeopardize patients’ safety or well-being, you can file an anonymous complaint by calling 1-800-254-5164, filling out an online form, emailing c-ncomplai@pa.gov or sending a letter in the mail. 

March is National Kidney Month

More than 37 million people in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease and nearly 90% of them are unaware.

If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you are at higher risk for developing kidney disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has useful information during National Kidney Month and year-round.

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