The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. New this week is a set of guidelines for meat and poultry processing workers and employers.  CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergency response, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA).

 As Pennsylvania works to mitigate the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus, the Wolf Administration has made it a priority to address food insecurity in the commonwealth by protecting our local supply chain, advocating for necessary waivers and resources, and ensuring equal access to healthy food for all.

Pennsylvania is home to a strong and diverse agriculture and food industry, with a reputation for innovation and generosity, that creates a strong foundation for food security in the commonwealth. Ensuring Pennsylvanians have equal access to food is a critical piece of a large, complex puzzle.

First Lady Frances Wolf has called for healthy Pennsylvanians to consider volunteering to help those who need it, reminding them to follow all safety precautions while doing so.

Learn more about Food Security in Pennsylvania:

• About Food Insecurity
• About Food Supply
• Resources for Pennsylvanians
• Actions Taken During COVID-19

The U.S. unemployment rate is still on an upward trend, with roughly 30.3 million Americans now having lost their jobs since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the fact that some states have already begun to selectively reopen businesses. Today, WalletHub released updated rankings for the States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Due to the Coronavirus as a follow-up to our report on the Cities with the Biggest Growth in Unemployment Due to COVID-19, along with accompanying videos.

To identify which states’ workforces have been hurt most by COVID-19, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on increases in unemployment claims. We used this data to rank the most impacted states in both the latest week for which we have data (April 20) and overall since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis (March 16). Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A. To see the states most impacted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.

Increase in Pennsylvania Unemployment Due to Coronavirus (1=Worst, 25=Avg.):

• 1,010.96% Increase in Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs April 2019)
  • 131,282 the week of April 20, 2020 vs 11,817 the week of April 22, 2019
  • 12th lowest increase in the U.S.
•  380.92% Increase in the Number of Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs January 2020)
  • 131,282 the week of April 20, 2020 vs 27,298 the week of January 1, 2020
  • 8th lowest increase in the U.S.
• 2,337.93% Increase in Unemployment Claims Since Pandemic Started
  • 1,620,512 between the week of March 16, 2020 and the week of April 20, 2020 vs 69,314 between the week of March 18, 2019 and the week of April 22, 2019
  • 20th lowest increase in the U.S.

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-biggest-increase-in-unemployment-due-to-coronavirus/72730/

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reviewed the Food and Drug Administration’s temporary policy regarding nutrition labeling during the COVID-19 public health crisis, and provided clarity behind new items for sale in Pennsylvania’s grocery stores and restaurants.

This temporary policy by the FDA allows restaurants to sell ingredients and bulk prepared foods direct to consumers, and allows food manufacturers to distribute foods intended for restaurant-use to grocery stores for purchase by consumers. This means grocery shoppers may see industrial sized bags of soup or other prepared items, with non-traditional nutrition information labels. Eggs by the flat, instead of by the dozen, have also been approved by a separate guidance document from the FDA. This temporary flexibility also allows restaurants to sell meal kits or raw ingredients in addition to their regular menu of takeout items.

Similar to recognizing a need for decreased food labeling requirements, the FDA issued guidance offering restaurants and retail food establishments flexibility for menu labeling. Under normal circumstances, restaurants and retail food establishments that are a part of a chain of 20 or more locations must provide nutrition information (calorie declarations) for standard menu items. Recognizing that business practices have been required to change as a result of COVID-19 – including modified menus, printed takeout menus, or online portals – the FDA will not object to restaurants that do not meet requirements.

Updated regularly, the site provides access to demographic and economic data that may be useful in decision-making, including state and local data on at-risk populations, poverty, health insurance coverage, and employment.

The Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families provides resources for foster care providers and the child welfare workforce in response to the COVID-19 emergency.  The page includes a list of state and national resources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeks comments from the public on two modules being added to the National Healthcare Safety Network, which is used to track healthcare-associated infections.  The new modules will be used to capture the daily, aggregate impact of COVID-19 facilities and to monitor medical capacity to respond at local, state, and national levels.

Comments are due on June 16, 2020 and can be submitted here.