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Wolf: Vaccine is strategy to fight COVID-19, not shutdowns

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Wolf administration said Tuesday it has no plans to pursue another COVID-19 emergency declaration, or attempt new statewide mitigation measures or vaccine mandates, as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads quickly and overloads Pennsylvania’s hospitals. “We are not considering further mitigation at this time,” Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said at a news conference. Instead, she said, the Health Department is pushing more residents to get vaccinated and taking steps to support hospitals hit by severe staffing shortages and a wave ...

WCS District updates COVID protocols

The Warren County School District has modified its health and safety plan again to keep in line with the latest COVID guidance. District officials recognize the presence of, and general characteristics of the omicron variant, and are preparing to step down their defenses. The plan “denies entry to less students,” Superintendent Amy Stewart said at Monday’s school board meeting. The board approved a modification that would require those unvaccinated students who are exposed to COVID at home to stay out of school for five days. After that, those students could return to school if ...

Wolf: Vaccine is strategy to fight COVID-19, not shutdowns

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday brushed aside questions about whether he will issue more orders for shutdowns as cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 spread quickly and fill Pennsylvania's hospitals with unvaccinated patients. Wolf, speaking during a regularly scheduled ...

COVID cases again on the rise locally

COVID cases are rising again in Warren County. After a record-setting 82 cases announced on Wednesday, there were 27 new cases announced Thursday, and 74 on Friday. The recent cases include more than 20 among children. Friday data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health indicates that there were 11 cases among children under the age of five between Dec. 29 and Jan. 4 and 14 among children ages five to 18. There were 30 active cases in Warren County School District as of Friday, according to Superintendent Amy Stewart. HELP FOR HOSPITALS To help hospitals that are struggling ...

Hospital stresses importance COVID vaccination

Warren County may be in line for an upswing as the COVID-19 omicron variant sweeps through the county. Warren General Hospital personnel are worried less about what variant is here and which is around the corner. Instead, they continue to focus on vaccination. “Our focus continues to be on getting residents vaccinated,” Chief Nursing Officer Joe Akif said. “This is still the key to fighting the spread of the virus.” “There is no data available to date that supports or suggests that the vaccine contributes to getting COVID,” Akif said. “We are not seeing significant ...

Pennsylvania seeks more hospital beds, staff in COVID surge

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania has begun working to boost the number of hospital beds and organize "strike teams" of extra healthcare workers for hospitals and nursing homes struggling with surging COVID-19-related caseloads and staffing shortages, Gov. Tom Wolf's office said Friday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency are coordinating the undertaking after getting requests for help, Wolf's office said. The plans involve adding hospital beds within regions for 60 days to absorb patients from swamped hospitals. Additional medical ...