A sign inside the door of the Cocoa Diner in Hummelstown, Pa. (Tim Lambert / WITF)
Tim Lambert / WITF
Continuing Coverage: Pandemic in Pennsylvania
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Tim Lambert/WITF
Tim Lambert / WITF
A sign inside the door of the Cocoa Diner in Hummelstown, Pa. (Tim Lambert / WITF)
The first three months of the coronavirus pandemic had an unprecedented impact in Pennsylvania.
Schools were closed. Businesses were shut down. People were ordered to stay home.
It all happened rapidly once COVID-19 made its first appearance in eastern Pennsylvania.
This entry is a snapshot of WITF’s coverage in March, April and May.
It opens with a portion of an interview from March 2, 2020, with Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on our public affairs show. The 2:56 clip is the opening of the conversation over the Commonwealth’s preparation for the arrival of COVID-19.
The second part of the entry features examples of spot news reports in the early days of the pandemic (runs 2:57- 7:40)
Next are examples of long-form reports that were filed within the first two months of the pandemic in Pennsylvania. (7:41-23:07. They have been edited for time)
Rounding out the entry is the opening few minutes of WITF’s hour-long documentary/podcast detailing a day-by-day, tick-tock of the pandemic in Pennsylvania. (23:08 – 29:58:00)
WITF’s Transforming Health focused on helping Central Pennsylvanians have a better understanding of the health implications of COVID-19, broke down what the state Health Department was telling the public about the pandemic, and checked in with health systems:
- The state is preparing for cases of coronavirus (Feb. 26, 2020)
- With coronavirus in Pennsylvania, school districts, others seek answers (March 9, 2020)
- Department of Health releases coronavirus testing data (March 11, 2020)
- Pa. hospitals are rationing protective gear as the number of coronavirus cases grows (March 16, 2020)
- How many people in Pa. will be infected with the coronavirus? Scientific modeling is trying to find the answer (March 28, 2020)
- Pa. needs another 1,000 to 1,400 ventilators, governor says. Here’s how the state is trying to find them. (April 2, 2020)
- Pa. keeps hospitals’ coronavirus emergency plans secret as health systems seek huge sums in tax relief, other financial help (April 14, 2020)
- Workers in Pennsylvania with preexisting health conditions fear a call to return to work (May 10, 2020)
- Pa.’s largest nurses’ union accuses hospitals of misinforming state officials about protective equipment (May 15, 2020)
In the early days of the pandemic, WITF’s Transforming Health produced a series of videos on how individuals in our listening area were dealing with so many changes to their everyday lives:
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared a state of emergency in Pennsylvania within days of the coronavirus surfacing in the state. WITF reported on unprecedented actions taken by the governor, how state government responded to the pandemic, and the decision to push back the primary election. Here is a sampling of our coverage.
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- Gov. Wolf wants the power to declare a public health emergency (March 6, 2020)
- Coronavirus not prompting legislature to postpone session plans (March 11, 2020)
- Voting in the time of coronavirus (March 12, 2020)
- Wolf: Bucks, Chester counties under new coronavirus restrictions; state liquor stores to close in four counties (March 14, 2020)
- Pa. House continuing with Monday voting session despite coronavirus concerns (March 15, 2020)
- Wolf orders bars and restaurants to close dine-in service in five counties (March 15, 2020)
- Coronavirus response: What happens if businesses don’t comply with the governor’s orders? (March 16, 2020)
- Pennsylvania’s gun background check system saw ‘surge in requests’ (March 18, 2020)
- Pennsylvania confirms first coronavirus-related death (March 18, 2020)
- Pa. child care providers dealing with ‘a lot of really, really sleepless nights and hard decisions’ (March 19, 2020)
- As neighboring businesses close, York County deli owner tries to hang on (March 20, 2020)
- State gets nearly 10,000 requests for waivers from Wolf’s coronavirus shutdown order (March 22, 2020)
Ed Mahon / PA Post
Many businesses across Pennsylvania were closed on March 23, 2020, in response to an order from Gov. Tom Wolf to shutdown non-life sustaining businesses.
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- Some Pa. business owners say coronavirus restrictions go too far (March 24, 2020)
- Coronavirus and business restrictions in Pennsylvania: Possible penalties, waivers and what else you need to know (March 24, 2020)
- York issues first citation against business for failing to comply with coronavirus closure order (March 25, 2020)
- Gov. Wolf expands stay-at-home order to 9 counties (March 27, 2020)
- Gov. Tom Wolf’s former business keeps operating during coronavirus shutdown despite losing state waiver (March 30, 2020)
- What businesses applied for ‘life-sustaining’ waivers? Wolf administration agency won’t release list, process open records request for now (March 31, 2020)
- Pa. small businesses scramble for assistance as shutdown order is questioned (April 2, 2020)
- Pennsylvanians (and all Americans) urged to wear masks outside the home (April 4, 2020)
- Pa. House Republicans move to allow more businesses to open amid coronavirus outbreak (April 6, 2020)
- Legislators clash over COVID-19 measures pushed by Pa. House’s GOP majority (April 7, 2020)
- Can you be cited just for going on a drive? State police answer common questions (April 8, 2020)
Kate Landis / PA Post
Hundreds gathered outside the Pennsylvania capitol on Monday, April 20, 2020, to urge the lifting of restrictions ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf to halt the spread of coronavirus.
- Pa. will work with six other states on restarting the economy (April 13, 2020)
- The debate over restarting construction projects in Pennsylvania, explained (April 14, 2020)
- Pa. House votes to reopen more businesses closed by coronavirus restrictions (April 14, 2020)
- Gov. Wolf plans to veto GOP bill to reopen businesses shuttered by coronavirus shutdown (April 15, 2020)
- Pa. governor says it’s time to start talking about reopening the economy, but offers no timeline for lifting restrictions (April 17, 2020)
- Voices from Harrisburg’s shutdown protest-turned GOP rally (April 21, 2020)
- Ex-Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge on shutdown protesters: ‘…now’s not the time to be about self’ (May 1, 2020)
Grocery store workers found themselves on the frontlines of the pandemic. WITF’s PA Post spent the night with one worker, who helped restock the empty shelves:
The COVID-19 pandemic also affected the environment in Pennsylvania:
