From staff reports
The Wolf administration on Saturday elaborated on the state’s plan to reopen portions of Pennsylvania based on Department of Health metrics.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, a target goal for reopening has been set at having fewer than 50 new confirmed cases per 100,000 population reported to the department in the previous 14 days.
For example, the release said, an area with a population of 800,000 people must have fewer than 400 new confirmed cases reported in the past 14 days to meet the target.
The administration said it will work closely with county and local governments to enable communities to reopen and transition back to work.
Additionally, the commonwealth must ensure:
– Enough testing available for individuals with symptoms and target populations such as those at high risk, health care personnel and first responders.
– Robust case investigation and contact tracing infrastructure in place to facilitate early identification of cluster outbreaks and to issue proper isolation and quarantine orders.
– Identification of an area’s high-risk settings.
That includes correctional institutions, personal care homes, skilled nursing facilities and other congregate care settings.
The state, the release said, also will rely on a modeling dashboard under development and evaluation by Carnegie Mellon University to take a regional and sector-based approach to reopenings, the easing of restrictions and public health response.
The release said if indicators and criteria point to a spike in cases, the state, in coordination with local officials, will need to adjust orders and restrictions to ensure the spread of disease remains at a minimum.
The full plan is available at www.governor.pa.gov.
