Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today reminded Pennsylvanians to take proper steps to prevent against tick bites and recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease, as some symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to those of COVID-19. Ticks can carry Lyme disease, among other dangerous diseases, that can be severe if not treated properly.

Preliminary data show that more than 8,500 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Pennsylvania in 2019. The department is continuing to compile complete Lyme disease data, and final numbers for 2019 should be available within the next month. Over time, if not treated, Lyme disease can lead to severe symptoms that affect the heart, nervous system and joints.

You are at risk of getting a tick any time you are outside, including in wooded and bushy areas, areas with high grass and leaf litter, and even in your own yard. This is why it is important to take steps to decrease your chances of getting bitten.  To reduce your chances of a tick bite:

• Walk in the center of trails and avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter;
• Use a repellent that contains at least 20% DEET;
• Wear light-colored clothing;
• Conduct full-body tick checks on yourself and on your pets after spending time outdoors; and
• Take a bath or shower within 2 hours after coming indoors.

If you have been bitten by a tick, make sure to monitor the area for any kinds of symptoms and contact your health care provider immediately. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include:

• A red, swollen bulls-eye shape rash;
• Fever;
• Chills;
• Headache;
• Fatigue;
• Muscle and joint aches; and
• Swollen lymph nodes.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) has made program guidelines for the COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant Program available on its website. The program makes $625M available to, among other purposes, offset the cost of direct county COVID-19 response, assist municipalities with COVID-19 response and planning efforts, fund nonprofit assistance programs and deploy broadband to unserved or underserved areas.

Of note, one of the eligible uses of funds listed in the guidelines is grant programs to support costs of assisting businesses during COVID-19 by CEDOS, LDDs, IRCs, SBDCs and EDCs. Grants will be administered by DCED.

Funds will be administered by the Lancaster and York County Conservation Districts. Lancaster and York County farms have been prioritized for their location along the Susquehanna River that empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Measures funded in these two counties have the greatest potential impact to improve water quality in a region that is home to almost four million Pennsylvanians. Funds may be made available to farms in other counties if available.

Some examples of eligible measures — called Best Management Practices, or BMPs — include fencing to keep livestock out of streams, streambank restoration, cover crops, planted streamside buffers to filter nutrients out of streams, manure storage, and comprehensive plans to manage nutrients, control erosion and conserve soil and water. Funding will support technical assistance and the installation of these and other high-impact BMPs.

The PA Farm Bill, a historic $23 million investment in growing and sustaining the commonwealth’s agriculture industry, was modeled after the governor’s six-point plan to cultivate future generations of Pennsylvania agriculture. The bill supports business development and succession planning, creates accommodations for a growing animal agriculture sector, removes regulatory burdens, strengthens the ag workforce, protects infrastructure, and works toward making Pennsylvania the nation’s leading organic state.

BMPs funded by Conservation Excellence Grants will help Pennsylvania meet its federally mandated goals to reduce nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment into the Chesapeake Bay by 2025.

Applications will be accepted beginning July 1, and evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis, according to their potential to meet program criteria. Grant funding may be combined with other public grants, tax credits such as the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP), and private funding.

Find applications, instructions and more information about Conservation Excellence Grants on the department’s website. Applications are also available from the Lancaster County Conservation District Office and York Conservation District Office. Completed applications should be returned to the district office for the county in which the applicant’s farm is located. Complete grant program guidelines can also be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Farmers with questions about applying may contact Program Administrator Eric Cromer at 223-666-2556 or ecromer@pa.gov.

Pennsylvania Governor Wolf announced the availability of $40 million in funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and food security programs, following months of uncertainty and loss from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, $15 million will provide an opportunity for dairy farmers to receive direct relief payments and $5 million will reimburse dairy farmers who participate in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) program by donating excess dairy product to the commonwealth’s charitable food system.

Any dairy farm that experienced financial losses due to discarded or displaced milk during the COVID-19 emergency disaster may apply for assistance. Each farm with a documented loss will receive a minimum of $1,500 and an additional prorated share of the remaining funds, not to exceed the actual amount assessed by the handler. The deadline to apply for the Dairy Indemnity Program is September 30, 2020.

Also, $15 million will go to the State Food Purchase Program, which provides cash grants to counties for the purchase and distribution of food to low income individuals, and $5 million will go to the PASS program to reimburse the agricultural industry for the costs involved in harvesting, processing, packaging and transporting food that they donate to the charitable food system. The PASS program helps to support Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry in all 67 counties and reduce waste of agricultural surplus by making connections between production agriculture and the non-profit sector.

Throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Wolf Administration has comprehensively addressed food.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a brief for state and local leaders with considerations for health equity in the public health response to the pandemic.

Last week, 80 members of the House of Representatives signed a bipartisan letter, requesting $75 billion to aid important COVID-19 activities, such as testing, contact tracing, and other assistance. They requested $2.1 billion to federal, state, and local facilities; $7.6 billion in emergency funding to facilities providing care to vulnerable populations; $2.1 billion to the Indian Health Service, specifically benefitting Native American communities; and $38.5 billion to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Additionally, the Representatives stressed the importance of at least a five-year extension, at a minimum of $69.7 billion, to expand the presence of facilities caring for vulnerable populations.

On June 9th, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a guide, directed by the Trump Administration, for providers considering in-person care services. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in postponing non-emergency, in-person services. CMS has presented recommendations to ensure non-emergency and needed care, postponed during the pandemic, resumes safely. Phase 1 recommendations for re-opening were issued by CMS on April 19th to areas with a relatively low incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and CMS will continue to make recommendations as the situation changes. It is important that rural health facilities are able to resume operation, despite the emergence of telehealth in hospital care settings, while recognizing that COVID-19 is an ongoing health crisis. Considering the safety of patients and healthcare workers is highly important and reopening hospital facilities must be managed carefully.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has announced additional distributions from the Provider Relief Fund to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. HHS expects to distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that have not received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation. HHS is also announcing the distribution of $10 billion in Provider Relief Funds to safety net hospitals that serve our most vulnerable citizens. The safety net distribution will occur this week. This is not a rural specific distribution, but Medicaid is an important source of coverage in rural areas.

Rural hospitals are closing during this public health emergency. The Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act (S.3103, H.R. 5481) would update Medicare’s “Critical Access Hospital” (CAH) designation so more rural hospitals can qualify for this financial lifeline and continue to serve their communities with quality, affordable health care services. Small hospitals are the backbone of rural communities, and often the largest employers, yet more than 120 rural hospitals have closed nationwide in the past decade, with many more hospitals operating with negative margins. The Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act is the immediate fix to help rural hospitals facing extreme strains from the COVID-19 pandemic.