Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine speaking at the virtual press conference in Harrisburg on March 20, 2020.
Commonwealth Media Services
The coronavirus on Smart Talk Thursday: What’s new in the virus’ fight and moving Pa. forward
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Merideth Bucher
Beginning Friday, May 8, two regions in Pennsylvania will begin the process of a ‘phased reopening,’ as directed by Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, MD.
This is a highly anticipated lifting of certain work restrictions and social interactions, but officials warn that it is only one small step forward and that the coronavirus remains a threat to Pennsylvanians.
The first two deaths in the state were reported on March 6 and now, two months later, more than three-thousand Pennsylvanians have died of COVID-19 related illness. State health officials say that while this number is high, there would have been many more deaths had the state not enacted social distancing mandates early in the crisis.
Health officials and scientists have learned a lot since the beginning of the year when global reports warned the viral threat originating in China. But there is still so much about the coronavirus that is not known and there is currently no approved vaccine.
On Thursday’s Smart Talk we’ll focus on the coronavirus and what we know now, with Dr. John Goldman, MD, an Infectious Disease specialist with UPMC Pinnacle.
Pennsylvania Department of Health question line: 1-877-724-3258 and UPMC Pinnacle nurses advice line: 1-866-918-1591