COVID Conversation: Tomorrow, 11am!

Nursing homes have seen the highest percentage of fatalities through the COVID 19 outbreak. This week, we will talk to a nurse at one of those facilities about what the staff and residents need to be safe and better protected moving forward.

Our conversation will be live at 11am on Thursday, May 21. Anyone can join and ask questions in a live chat feature.

Join here

SNAP benefits can be used for online grocery shopping

The Wolf Administration received approval from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow Pennsylvania to join the pilot program that lets recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, purchase groceries online through participating retailers.

Now that approval has been received, DHS is working with its EBT vendor and approved retailers to implement system changes necessary to implement online payment for PA’s SNAP recipients. These system changes have an approximately two-week testing and validation implementation timeline that could not begin without FNS’ approval, so DHS expects to have online grocery purchasing activated for SNAP recipients by the beginning of June.

Once active, only eligible food items normally paid for by SNAP will be able to be purchased online with SNAP benefits; delivery fees, driver tips, and other associated charges may not be paid for with SNAP benefits. Due to the expedited timeframe to implement, this initiative does not include the ability to transact Cash Assistance benefits using the EBT card.  Therefore, individuals will need to use another method of payment to cover the non-allowable fees such as a pre-paid debit card. The pilot program currently includes three approved retailers: Amazon, Walmart, and ShopRite. Retailers that are interested in participating must contact FNS to review the requirements to be added to the program.

Outdoor recreation

In the latest counties announced as yellow May 15, as well as earlier additional counties announced as yellow, park and forest offices will open May 22. Tent and RV camping also will open May 22. Facilities such as cabins, cottages, lodges, and yurts in most recent rounds of announced yellow counties will open June 12.

In counties first announced as yellow, park and forest district offices and tent and RV camping reopened May 15. Facilities such as cabins, cottages, lodges, and yurts will open June 12.
People who live in areas still under stay-at-home orders should not travel long distances for outdoor recreation, and instead should look for opportunities close to home. Pennsylvania has 6,000 local parks and more than 12,000 miles of trails available (check first to make sure they are open, as some local parks are closed).

Visitors can help keep state parks and forest lands safe by following these practices:

• Avoid crowded parking lots and trailheads
• Bring a bag and either carry out your trash or dispose of it properly
• Clean up after pets
• Avoid activities that put you at greater risk of injury, so you don’t require a trip to the emergency room

To help avoid exposure to COVID-19 and protect others, and still enjoy the outdoors:

• Don’t hike or recreate in groups – go with those under the same roof, and adhere to social distancing (stay 6 feet apart)
• Wear a mask
• Take hand sanitizer with you and use it regularly
• Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow
• If you are sick, stay home

Pennsylvania has 121 state parks, and 20 forest districts.

Facebook Live Q & A

As we navigate this health crisis together, I want to be as accessible as possible for your questions. Every Friday at 12pm, I will be live on Facebook to chat about what the state is doing to combat COVID-19. Join me! 

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