Jenkintown Borough continues to update the opens in a new windowBorough website with the latest COVID-19 information and community resources that have been provided by County, State and Federal agencies.
State Representative Steve McCarter shares helpful information and news updates below as well as details of Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania:
Dear Neighbor,
I’m happy to report that thanks to your sacrifices and efforts flattening the curve in Montgomery County, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed amended yellow-phase orders placing Montco into the yellow phase along with Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Northampton and Philadelphia counties.
With these orders, there are no longer any Pennsylvania counties in the red phase.
Gov. Wolf’s opens in a new windowProcess to Reopen Pennsylvania includes details of each phase of reopening.
Businesses with in-person operations must opens in a new windowFollow Business and Building Safety Orders.
Schools may provide in-person instruction only in accordance with opens in a new windowDepartment of Education guidance.
Let’s continue with the excellent work we’ve done to keep one another safe and remember to social distance – 6 feet – and to wear a mask covering your mouth and nose if you are medically able.
I continue to work from home, and so does my staff. Our plans are to reopen the office this summer, following guidance by the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as the safety of you and my staff is our priority. As soon as our plans have been set, I will let you know.
In the meantime, my staff and I are always available to answer questions and help to ease, as best we can, the many hardships the pandemic has wrought. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone at (215) 572-5210opens phone dialer and/or email at opens in a new windowRepMcCarter@pahouse.netcreate new email. We will get through this together.
Protests stoking change
The tremendous wave of anger over long-broken racial relations across the country is crashing over nearly every city and town right now. To those of you speaking your mind and directing your feelings in a peaceful, uplifting manner: thank you for exercising your right to liberty and justice for all.
Your work is paying off. Your march gained the footsteps of leaders across the country, including our governor, which caused an intense focus on the wrongs that put us here and is changing the way this entire country sees itself. It is truly powerful to be a small part of all this and to witness the country’s strength and passion for change from within.
After meeting with leaders in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Governor Tom Wolf also announced several firm actions that the commonwealth will take immediately.
- Based in part on the 21st Century Policing Task Force, created in 2015 under President Obama in response to the Ferguson, Mo., death of black teen Michael Brown that set off weeks of protests, his reforms include:
- Creation of a Deputy Inspector General within the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) focused on deterring, detecting, preventing, and eradicating fraud, waste, misconduct, and abuse amongst law enforcement agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction.
- Creation of a Pennsylvania State Law Enforcement Advisory Commission that reviews allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel under the governor’s jurisdiction.
- Providing technical assistance to municipalities from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to encourage the creation of local citizen advisory boards.
- Creation of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Subcommittee under the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC) at PCCD.
- Reviewing Training and Education of Officers. All training academies for law enforcement must review current use of force training standards for law enforcement and form a workgroup to develop model training standards to ensure that all officers receive the best instruction in their interactions with the public. Departments should be striving to obtain state and or national accreditation. Accreditation is a key component in assisting departments in evaluation and improvement of their standards and practices.
- opens in a new windowAnd more.
In related news, I penned a statement denouncing Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph Gale for his racist, incendiary rhetoric during these important protests and called on him to resign.
We are living in difficult times. And, in difficult times, we look to our elected leaders to provide the guidance and stability to help all people understand what needs to be done to get us to a better place.
Read the rest opens in a new windowhere.
Special note
This morning my friend, Dr. Michael Mittelman, President of Salus University, located in Elkins Park, summarized for the Salus students and staff his concerns and hopes concerning the social unrest and response to the crisis that has impacted all of us. I found his commentary and advice for his students something we should all consider in these turbulent times: opens in a new windowhttp://salusuniversitypresident.blogspot.com/2020/06/equality-decency-and-freedom-week-of.html
COVID-19 guidance for treating dental patients updated
The Pennsylvania Department of Health released an update to the opens in a new windowdental health care guidance as part of the commonwealth’s phased COVID-19 reopening plan. This guidance allows dental health care providers the ability to safely provide oral healthcare, including routine cleanings.
Dental providers opens in a new windowshould follow protocols outlined by the CDC for all procedures.
All patients should be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before arriving at the practice and social distancing should be maintained while in the practice. Patients should wash or sanitize their hands frequently and wear a mask when not undergoing treatment. Tele-dentistry should continue when possible as patients may be able to be treated virtually.
Fire company grants coming soon
The Office of State Fire Commissioner will be working to enact recent legislation. I voted for to provide $50 million in direct financial relief to fire and emergency medical service companies negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Of the $50 million in funding set aside for this new program, $44 million will be made available to fire and rescue companies and the remaining $6 million will go towards EMS companies. Though the legislation took immediate effect, the Office of State Fire Commissioner must now establish the protocols for application, review and disbursement of grant funds.
In the coming weeks, detailed information about the program and instructions on how to apply will be available online at the Office of the State Fire Commissioner’s opens in a new windowwebsite. Check back regularly for updated information.
In-person instruction may resume at schools on July 1
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced this week that elementary and secondary schools in the state’s yellow and green phases may resume in-person instruction and activities beginning July 1 under a phased reopening approach that first requires schools to develop health and safety plans based on guidelines from the CDC and the state Department of Health.
PDE also released guidance that allows postsecondary institutions and adult basic education programs, effective June 5, to begin in-person instruction immediately following the development of a health and safety plan outlining strategies for safe operations.
Plans must encompass several elements, including identifying a pandemic coordinator or team to lead response efforts; steps to protect high-risk children and staff who may be at higher risk; processes for monitoring students and staff for symptoms; guidelines for hygiene practices; processes for cleaning and disinfecting; guidelines for the use of face masks; protocols for social distancing; and procedures for restricting large gatherings.
The plans must be approved by local boards of directors and posted on the school or district public website before a school reopens. The plans must also be submitted to PDE.
The guidance applies to school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to create plans tailored to their unique needs and post them on their websites.
The preliminary documents follow Governor Wolf’s opens in a new windowProcess to Reopen Pennsylvania, which has been updated to reflect the new guidance.
As a former teacher, I still can only imagine how difficult it must have been for teachers finishing the 2019-2020 school year for the past three months. My hat is off to all the exceptional educators out there who have sacrificed their time, energy – and most likely sanity at times – to teach Pennsylvania’s next group of leaders, at all grade levels. When we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be many heroes to recall, and our teachers and school staff will be high on that list.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, please visit the opens in a new windowDepartment of Education’s website or follow PDE on opens in a new windowFacebook, opens in a new windowTwitter, or opens in a new windowPinterest.
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on opens in a new windowpa.gov.
Storm kills three in MontCo, while 140,000 lose power
I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who lost three loved ones Wednesday during a very violent storm that tore through our region.
I’d also like to remind you that storm dangers remain even after the weather clears up. Be mindful of damaged trees and power lines, especially while driving.
For more on the storm, click opens in a new windowhere.
Boscov’s reopening stores in region Saturday
Boscov’s announced that it will reopen several of its stores in Southeastern Pennsylvania — including all seven stores in Berks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties — along with locations in Scranton and the Baltimore area on Saturday.
The Exeter Township-based department store, which has been gradually reopening locations as coronavirus pandemic restrictions have been rolled back, said all those locations will allow customers beginning at 11 a.m.
You can read more here: opens in a new windowhttps://www.thereporteronline.com/business/boscovs-reopening-stores-in-the-region-on-saturday/article_ebb8d182-f69a-5d7a-a6fe-99262d13faf6.html
Don’t forget about the 2020 Census
Don’t forget to respond to the 2020 Census. The deadline is now October 31, 2020. Call 844-330-2020opens phone dialeror visit opens in a new windowmy2020census.gov to respond.
The Secretary of Health’s amended yellow phase order can be found opens in a new windowhereopens PDF file .
The Secretary of Health’s amended green phase order can be found opens in a new windowhereopens PDF file .
Please use and trust the following links for direct information on COVID-19.
opens in a new windowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
opens in a new windowPA Department of Health
opens in a new windowMontgomery County
Have a lovely weekend.
Stay safe and well,
Steve McCarter
Pennsylvania State Representative
Serving Cheltenham Township, Springfield Township and Jenkintown Borough