Report from Harrisburg

I’m happy to report that Senate Bill 841 has passed the General Assembly. The legislation will enable local municipalities to hold their meetings remotely, permit e-notary use; lengthen the time period a property taxpayer can receive an early payment discount and delay penalties for late payments to Dec. 31st; and allow businesses to make delayed payments on EITC.  Another important amendment offered by my colleague Senator Pam Iovino (D-Allegheny) allows school districts to renegotiate contracts to ensure contracted school workers can get paid and continue to receive benefits. 

The amended SB 841 passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

COVID Conversations – TODAY at 4:30pm

Today we are going to kick off a new series of online events: COVID Conversations. Each week will be a moderated interview with someone on a different front line of the pandemic, and then we’ll take questions from a live, online audience. Our first will have Shana, a UFCW member and bakery staff at a Pittsburgh area grocery store.

She’ll tell us what grocery store workers want consumers to know, and what safety protocol are in place to protect shoppers. Please be a part of the conversation, join at the link here at 4:30pm (Thursday, 4/16).

Governor Wolf Issues Worker Safety Order

Governor Tom Wolf announced on Wednesday that Dr. Rachel Levine, under her authority as Secretary of the Department of Health to take any disease control measure appropriate to protect the public from the spread of infectious disease, signed an order directing protections for critical workers who are employed at businesses that are authorized to maintain in-person operations during the COVID-19 disaster emergency.

The order establishes protocols to help employees maintain a social distance during work:

• Provide masks for employees to wear during their time at the business, and make it a mandatory requirement while at the work site, except to the extent an employee is using break time to eat or drink, in accordance with the guidance from the Department of Health and the CDC. Employers may approve masks obtained or made by employees in accordance with this guidance;
• Stagger work start and stop times for employees when practical to prevent gatherings of large groups entering or leaving the premises at the same time;
• Provide sufficient space for employees to have breaks and meals while maintaining a social distance of 6 feet, including limiting the number of employees in common areas and setting up seating to have employees facing forward and not across from each other;
• Conduct meetings and training virtually. If a meeting must be held in person, limit the meeting to the fewest number of employees possible, not to exceed 10 employees at one time and maintain a social distance of 6 feet.
• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of employees to perform all measures listed effectively and in a manner that ensures the safety of the public and employees;
• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of personnel to control access, maintain order, and enforce social distancing of at least 6 feet;
• Prohibit non-essential visitors from entering the premises of the business; and
• Ensure that all employees who do not speak English as their first language are aware of procedures by communicating the procedures, either orally or in writing, in their native or preferred language.

Upon discovery of an exposure to a person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19, businesses are also ordered to implement temperature screenings before employees enter the business prior to the start of work and send any employee home who has an elevated temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps.

Employees should not return to work until the CDC criteria to discontinue home isolation are met, in consultation with the health care providers and state and local health departments. Employers are encouraged to implement liberal paid time off for employees who are on home isolation.

Upon an exposure, businesses are also ordered to do the following:

• Close off and ventilate areas visited by that individual;
• Wait a minimum of 24 hours, or as long as practical, before beginning cleaning and disinfection;
• Clean and disinfect all spaces, especially commonly used rooms and shared electronic equipment;
• Identify and notify employees who were in close contact with that individual (within about 6 feet for about 10 minutes); and
• Ensure that the business has a sufficient number of employees to perform these protocols effectively and immediately.

In addition to the social distancing, mitigation and cleaning protocols, businesses that serve the public within a building or defined area are ordered to implement the following, based on the size of the building and number of employees:

• Require all customers to wear masks while on premises, and deny entry to individuals not wearing masks, unless the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, in which case the business must provide alternative methods of pick-up or delivery of goods, except individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition (including children the age of 2 years) may enter the premises without having to provide medical documentation;
• Conduct business with the public by appointment only and, to the extent that this is not feasible, limit occupancy to no greater than 50 percent of the number stated on their certificate of occupancy as necessary to reduce crowding in the business and at check-out and counter lines in order to maintain a social distance of 6 feet, and place signage throughout each site to mandate social distancing for both customers and employees;
• Alter hours of business so that the business has sufficient time to clean or to restock or both;
• Install shields or other barriers at registers and check-out areas to physically separate cashiers and customers or take other measures to ensure social distancing of customers from check-out personnel, or close lines to maintain a social distance between of 6 feet between lines;
• Encourage use of online ordering by providing delivery or outside pick-up;
• Designate a specific time for high-risk and elderly persons to use the business at least once every week if there is a continuing in-person customer-facing component;
• In businesses with multiple check-out lines, only use every other register, or fewer. After every hour, rotate customers and employees to the previously closed registers. Clean the previously open registers and the surrounding area, including credit card machines, following each rotation;
• Schedule handwashing breaks for employees at least every hour; and
• Where carts and handbaskets are available, assign an employee to wipe down carts and handbaskets before they become available to a new customer.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in enforcement action that could include citations, fines, or license suspensions. Compliance with the order will be enforced beginning Sunday, April 19 at 8:00 PM.

CHIP Changes

The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced that it is making temporary changes to Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to keep families enrolled in CHIP for the duration of the public health emergency and to ease access to medical services for children being screened or receiving treatment for COVID-19.

The following changes are in effect for CHIP until the end of the public health emergency:

• Families will not be denied or disenrolled from coverage for administrative or financial reasons. An example of an administrative reason is not being able to provide proof of income.
• Families will not pay a copay for services that are for COVID-19 screening, testing or treatment.
• Families who cannot provide paperwork to verify information on an application or renewal, can provide self-attestation of information by signing the application or renewal.
• Families will be given more time to pay premiums, if needed.

Families still must provide verification of information presented on an application, and are still responsible for copays for services not related to COVID-19. Testing and treatment services related to COVID-19 are covered. Families are also still responsible to pay premiums if applicable.

Update for AP Students

During the last week of March College Board announced that due to the current circumstances, it will be administering the 2020 AP tests virtually so that students will be able the take exams at home.
AP students now have access to free live AP review sessions presented by AP teachers across the country, with a focus on course content that has been previously covered in the classroom. For the 2020 exams, we are developing secure 45-minute online exams for each course. There will be two exam periods: May 11-22 and June 1-5. Additional information and regular updates will be posted here.

Pledge to #ShopSmart

You should be limiting your travel to life sustaining businesses as much as possible, but when you have to go out – pledge to #ShopSmart. Wear a mask and stay 6’ from other shoppers and workers. It’s for everyone’s safety!

Learn more about the Shop Smart pledge here.

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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