Category: Government Actions

PDH: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Fully Approved for Use in 12- to 15-Year-Olds (May 13, 2021)

On May 13, 2021, the PA Department of Health (PDH) encouraged all COVID-19 vaccine providers to start vaccinating anyone age 12 and over with the Pfizer vaccine as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held a meeting today to review the data and make an official recommendation to use the vaccine for this age group. The CDC also said that the Pfizer vaccine could be co-administered with other routine vaccinations.

“Hundreds of vaccine providers in Pennsylvania already have Pfizer vaccine on hand and are ready to safely and efficiently vaccinate people in this age group,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said, noting that the state’s vaccine provider network is expanding each week.

People can find Pfizer vaccination locations near them using Vaccines.gov, also known as Vaccine Finder. Individuals also can text their zip code to GETVAX (438829) for English, or VACUNA (822862) for Spanish and receive three possible vaccination sites in their area, then choose locations based on availability of the Pfizer vaccine.

In Pennsylvania, immunizations, like other general medical services, require consent. The Department of Health recommends that vaccine providers follow their current policy for vaccinations of minors.

“Once all of the approvals are in place, Pennsylvania vaccine providers will be ready to begin vaccinating these young people to add them to the more than 5.7 million Pennsylvanians who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far,” Acting Secretary Beam said.

The eligibility of 12- to 15-year-olds does not change PDH’s criteria for at least 70 percent of Pennsylvania adults to get fully vaccinated for the state’s mask mandate to be lifted. According to the CDC, as of this morning, 46.2 percent of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. 

Learn more at the CDC’s “COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens” page.

PA Senate Ed. Committee Unanimously Passes SB 664 , Which Would Allow Parents to Have Children Repeat Grade Due to Pandemic (May 12, 2021)

On Monday, May 10, 2021, SB 664 was unanimously passed by the PA Senate Education Committee and sent on to the full Senate. The bill would allow parents/guardians to decide to have their children repeat the 2020-21 school year due to school closings, difficulties with virtual learning, and other COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions to the learning process. If the bill becomes law, parents/guardians could have their children repeat the grade they were in during the 2020-21 school year if they think that their children did not learn adequately and/or suffered learning “loss” due to pandemic-related circumstances.

The bill would also allow students in all grades to repeat their current grade and would allow students with intellectual disabilities to remain in school for an extra year, even if they turn 21.

To learn more from The Daily Item click here or view the bill by clicking here.

Wolf Administration to Increase Indoor and Outdoor Events and Gatherings Maximum Capacity on May 17th (May 11, 2021)

On May 11, 2021, the Wolf Administration announced that event and gathering maximum occupancy limits will be increased to 50 percent for indoor events and gatherings and 75 percent for outdoor events and gatherings effective Monday, May 17 at 12:01 AM.

“As more Pennsylvania adults get vaccinated and guidance from the CDC evolves, we can continue to move forward with the commonwealth’s reopening efforts,” said Governor Wolf. “We recognize the significant strain businesses have faced during COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Throughout the last year and half, we have seen businesses continue to put the safety of their patrons first and I believe they will continue to do so even with this capacity increase.”

This update will not prevent municipalities, school districts, restaurants and venues from continuing and implementing stricter mitigation efforts. Based on current CDC guidance, social distancing is strongly recommended for municipalities, school districts, restaurants, and venues.

An event or gathering is defined as a temporary grouping of individuals for defined purposes, that takes place over a limited timeframe, such as hours or days. For example, events and gatherings include fairs, festivals, concerts or shows and groupings that occur within larger, more permanent businesses, such as shows or performances within amusements parks, individual showings of movies on a single screen/auditorium within a multiplex, business meetings or conferences, or each party or reception within a multiroom venue.

Face coverings are still to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home. In accordance with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians are not required to wear a mask during certain activities. The current order requiring Pennsylvanians to wear masks will be lifted when 70 percent of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated.

“As we continue implementing our reopening plan as quickly as possible, the safety of Pennsylvanians remains at the forefront of our decision making,” said Gov. Wolf. “During the pandemic, all Pennsylvanians have worked collaboratively to stop the spread of COVID-19. We must continue that same mindset during our reopening efforts. I urge each eligible Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated to help protect your neighbors and loved ones as we work to safely reopen our beloved commonwealth communities.”

Currently, maximum occupancy is 25 percent for indoor events and gatherings and 50 percent for outdoor events and gatherings, regardless of venue size and only if attendees and workers are able to comply with the 6-foot physical distancing requirement.

All Pennsylvanians ages 16 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. To find a vaccine provider, visit vaccines.gov. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health’s hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

USDE and DOJ Release “Confronting COVID-19-Related Harassment in Schools” (May 11, 2021)

On May 10, 2021, the US Department of Education (USDE)  and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released Confronting COVID-19-Related Harassment in Schools, a fact sheet for students and families. You may find this resource on the Office for Civil Rights website in English, Chinese-simplified, Chinese-traditional, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, with additional translations expected later this month. School officials are asked to share this document widely to help ensure that students and families are aware of their rights in school settings and of how to access help if needed, including from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the Department of Education and the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice.

As President Biden wrote at the start of his presidency in his Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, “The Federal Government should combat racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and should work to ensure that all members of AAPI communities — no matter their background, the language they speak, or their religious beliefs — are treated with dignity and equity.”

This resource is one part of the work to counter racism and ensure equity and equal opportunity for all.

PA Pre-K Counts Request for Applications Announced – Action Required by June 10th (May 10, 2021)

On May 10, 2021, Acting PA Secretary of Education Noe Ortega released a PennLink communiquĂŠ announcing a competitive Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications (RFA) Guidance. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) grant program is intended to support providers in preparing to serve and enroll children by September 2021. The RFA is being released now to give providers time to conduct outreach to families; recruit, hire and train staff; and plan for implementing the program pending grant approval.Applicants must submit Letters of Intent to [email protected] by 3 PM on June 10, 2021. Only applicants that submit a complete Letter of Intent by the deadline will be permitted to apply for funding.

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts was established by Act 45 of 2007 (and amended in 2008 and 2010). Its purpose is to expand the number of children able to experience a pre-kindergarten program of high quality. The standards for the program ensure a high return on the investment made in preparing young children for school and will help close the achievement gap. Early education through Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts can open the doors of opportunity for every child to do well in school, in the workforce, and in life. Governor Wolf’s proposed 2021-22 state budget includes an additional $25 million for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. With this expansion funding, the state will be able to increase the number of children served in high-quality pre-kindergarten.

RFA Process: OCDEL will use a competitive application process to disperse available state expansion funding to select eligible grantees beginning in FY 2021-22.The ceiling or limit on the potential number of slots that may be awarded to any applicant will depend upon a county’s unmet need percentages and the amount of funding available. Funding is contingent upon approval by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Grants are funded via state dollars and, therefore, carryover funds are not permitted. All grant dollars identified in this FY 2021-22 application must be encumbered or spent by June 30, 2022. Pennsylvania continues to be committed to a mixed delivery system. As such, eligible applicants include existing Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees and new applicants from these five eligible entity categories:

  • School districts;
  • PDE Licensed nursery schools;
  • Head Start grantees;
  • Child care centers and group child care homes designated at Keystone STAR 3 or STAR 4; and
  • A third-party entity applying for Pennsylvania Pre‐K Counts funding to administer the lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services under the categories listed above.

Eligible applicants must provide assurance that they operate in full compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance. Applicants should thoroughly review Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance prior to submission of a Letter of Intent to apply to ensure an understanding of the program requirements and expectations of compliance if an application is successful. The application review process will include evaluation of the extent to which the applicant demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute and Regulations.Applicants must also have the following in place to complete an application:

  • REQUIRED Letter of Intent (see below);
  • Vendor number (SAP #);
  • Administrative unit number (AUN);
  • Master provider index number (MPI); and
  • Federal ID number or tax ID number.

All information relevant to the application process is available in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications (RFA) Guidance. Applicants should review all information in that document before submitting the Letter of Intent.

Required Letter of Intent: Because of the need to establish access to eGrants procurement system, applicants must submit a completed Letter of Intent to apply for funds. The template posted at PKC How to Apply must be used. The Letter of Intent represents the applicant’s intent to apply for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding and includes the legal name of the eligible agency that will apply, the AUN associated with the applying legal entity, preliminary information about requested funding, program model, provider type, and area to be served. Except for the legal entity and AUN, information submitted in the Letter of Intent may be modified in the final eGrants application. Programs interested in applying must submit a fully completed Letter of Intent by 3 pm on June 10, 2021 to [email protected]. Programs that do not submit the Letter of Intent will not be able to access or submit a funding application in the eGrants system. Late submissions will not be accepted. Agencies submitting a fully complete Letter of Intent by the due date will be notified when the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts application is open in eGrants.