Week in review: Fall resurgence of covid-19, election day around the corner and police reform

Pennsylvania is seeing a fall resurgence in cases of covid-19, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said this week.

The statewide percentage of positive cases has risen to 4.3%, the highest it’s been since August, officials said, and about a third of the state’s 67 counties have a percentage positivity of more than 5%. Cases on Thursday increased by 2,063 new positive cases, the highest number of single-day cases since the start of the pandemic in March.

According to Levine, as case counts rise, so do hospitalizations, with 1,042 people currently hospitalized with 110 on ventilators.

The resurgence in Pennsylvania mirrors what is happening on a national level, Levine said, and nearly every state is reporting increases.

Blue Angels return

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are returning to the Arnold Palmer Airport in Unity next year.

The flight demonstration squadron based in Pensacola, Fla., officially slotted performances for Memorial Day weekend, May 29-30, 2021, Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo said this week. The announcement came after the facility has struggled through the covid-19 pandemic and construction that slashed commercial passenger traffic by 60%.

Previous Blue Angels performances have drawn an estimated 100,000 people, according to authority officials.

The team last appeared at the airport in 2017. The airshow was not held this year for the first time since 2012.

Police reform

A task force charged with coming up with avenues for meaningful change in the way Pittsburgh polices its residents issued several recommendations that focus on eight main topics.

The changes come after a summer filled with anti-police brutality protests in cities across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody.

Members of the task force issued a 47-page report focused on eliminating racial disparities, officer wellness, reimagining policing, recruitment, training, education and hiring; relations with the city’s Fraternal Order of Police, transparency and accountability and use of force changes.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said the report is a start to making changes in the city.

Patrolling polling places

The Westmoreland County Sheriff announced his intention to assign deputies to patrol near the county’s polling places on Election Day.

Sheriff James Albert said he has not received specific information about threats, but wants 15 to 20 deputies at the ready should disturbances or calls about voter intimidation arise at any of the county’s 307 polling places. Deputies will drive around the locations in marked vehicles unless they are called on to assist with any incidents.

Westmoreland County schools

Westmoreland County schools could be urged to close if the present coronavirus surge continues.

The county has the seventh-highest coronavirus incidence rate in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This week, it moved from “moderate” to “substantial” on the state’s Early Warning Monitoring System, a three-tiered measure of coronavirus transmission.

The state considers any county with an incidence rate higher than 100 as being at a substantial level of virus transmission. The Department of Education recommends that any county in that category conduct remote learning only as opposed to in-person or hybrid education, though the decision remains local and there is a waiting period.

If a county crosses the threshold, school officials should wait to see whether the following week’s numbers remain high before making a decision, according to the department.

Same-sex civil unions

Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh issued a statement on Pope Francis’ tacit endorsement of civil unions between same-sex couples stating that it was a reflection of his call for people to be treated with dignity and love.

In a statement released Wednesday, Zubik said Pope Francis’ recent comments “reflect his pastoral approach to persons who may be on the peripheries of society.” Zubik said he does not feel the comments signaled a departure from the Catholic Church’s existing stance on marriage or homosexuality.

The pope’s remarks were made as part of the documentary “Francesco,” about the leader of the Catholic Church, which premiered at the Rome Film Festival.

Zubik said the Pope was not promoting a change in the moral or sacramental teachings of the church.

Eric Trump visits Oakmont Bakery

Eric Trump made a surprise visit to Oakmont Bakery, where he passed out cookies decorated with his father’s face to dozens of supporters.

Oakmont Bakery is hosting its traditional presidential Cookie Poll. The bakery serves up sweets adorned with images of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, tallying which cookies sell best.

As of Thursday, Trump was in the lead, with 13,656 cookies sold, said Oakmont Bakery owner Marc Serrao. The bakery has sold 2,813 Biden cookies.

At the event, Trump touted his father’s platforms and cited them as the reason for the support throughout the state.