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Green day?

Mifflin, Juniata counties hoping to be in next group moving to least-restrictive phase of reopening

Sentinel graphic
Mifflin, left, and Juniata counties are among those whose low numbers of new cases of COVID-19 suggest they may be in the next group of counties progressing from ‘yellow’ to the ‘green’ phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan for Pennsylvania. Wolf is expected to reveal the next group today.

From staff reports

LEWISTOWN — Mifflin and Juniata counties on Thursday continued long streaks without any new cases of COVID-19, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health just one day before Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to reveal the next group of counties slated to move to the “green” phase of his gradual reopening plan for Pennsylvania.

Mifflin County has not reported a new case since Saturday. Juniata County’s streak is six days longer, having gone since May 24 without seeing a new case of COVID-19. Since both counties went to the “yellow” phase on May 22, Mifflin County has seen just two new cases and Juniata County has reported only one. Mifflin County’s total is 59 cases to date with one death and Juniata County is at 95 cases and four deaths.

Today, Wolf is expected to announce the next group of counties slated for progression to the least-restrictive phase of his traffic light color-coded reopening plan. If the previous pattern of county announcement taking effect the following Friday holds, that change would officially happen at 12:01 a.m. June 12.

In the green phase many restrictions are lifted and all businesses may be open, but gatherings of more than 250 people are prohibited; restaurants and bars may serve dine-in customers at 50% occupancy; personal care services (including hair salons and barbershops) may open at 50% occupancy and by appointment only; indoor recreation, health and wellness facilities, and personal care services (such as gyms and spas) may open at 50% occupancy with appointments strongly encouraged; entertainment venues (such as casinos, theaters and shopping malls) may open at 50% occupancy; construction activity may return to full capacity with continued implementation of protocols and visitation to prisons and hospitals may resume subject to the discretion of the facility.

Visitation restrictions to nursing homes and long-term care facilities will initially remain in place.

Also, beginning today, restaurants and bars in yellow-phase counties are permitted to again serve dine-in customers, provided they do so only in an outdoor seating area.

Snyder County, which was in the first group permitted to go green, reported six new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, putting its total at 51 with one death. Huntingdon and Perry counties each reported a pair of new cases, moving Huntingdon County’s total to 234 cases and three deaths and Perry County to 64 cases and three deaths. Much of Huntingdon County’s total comes from the outbreak at State Correctional Institution Huntingdon, whose inmates are counted by the state as county residents.

No COVID-19 patient seeking care locally is currently on a ventilator. In Pennsylvania, there are currently 1,174 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 with 257 using a ventilator.

In other nearby counties, Centre County — which is also in the green phase — reported no new cases, remaining at 154 cases and seven deaths, Dauphin County reported 19 new cases and two additional deaths for new totals of 1,404 cases and 87 deaths, Franklin County reported three cases and one additional death for totals of 785 cases and 38 deaths while Union County saw two new cases for a total of 65 with one death.

Statewide, there have been 73,942 cases of COVID-19 and 5,817 deaths attributed to the virus. Of those who have contracted COVID-19, approximately 69% have recovered. There have been 416,942 negative tests so far in Pennsylvania.

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