*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* March 14, 2020 *Contact:* Amie M. Downs 412-350-3711 (office) 412-327-3700 (cell) amie.downs@alleghenycounty.us *Allegheny County Announces Additional Operational Changes* *PITTSBURGH – *Following this morning’s announcement of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Allegheny County, County Manager William D. McKain CPA announced additional operations changes in the county. *Emergency Services* The Emergency Operations Center has been activated in Moon Township. Dedicated staffing will perform ongoing monitoring and assist communities with resource requests. Allegheny County declared an emergency on March 12. Since then, three municipalities have also made such declarations including Millvale, Pittsburgh and Shaler. *Fire Academy* The Allegheny County Fire Academy has suspended all training at the academy through April 19, 2020. All mission-critical training will continue as scheduled. Fire Academy operations will continue as normal with full-time staff reporting; however, there is a possibility that additional assignments will be received to support Emergency Services in its mission. *Human Services* Individuals who may be experiencing fear, anxiety or stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to speak with someone to assist in emotional support: Peer Support and Advocacy Network (PSAN) 10 AM to Midnight 1-866-661-WARM (9726) resolve Crisis Services 24 hours/7 days a week 1-888-796-8226 Additional information and resources on mental health care can be found at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website <https://www.samhsa.gov/>. The agency’s Disaster Distress Hotline is 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. People with deafness or hearing loss can use their preferred relay service to call 1-800-985-5990. *Police Academy* The Allegheny County Police Academy is ceasing its academy cadet class effective March 17 with plans to return on April 1. Similarly, all mandatory in-service training classes for municipal agencies have been canceled at the academy and all satellite locations. All firearm training at the academy range is canceled through March 27. Operational changes announced yesterday also follow as a reminder and resource to the public: *Allegheny County Jail* Restrictions on social and professional visits at the Allegheny County Jail are being implemented beginning Monday, March 16. Exceptions will be made for instances of end-of-life or when an inmate’s health becomes severely critical and visitation from immediate family members, friends and religious leaders becomes necessary. The initial visitation suspension duration is two weeks. At this time, legal visits to the Allegheny County Jail will continue, but the process is currently being reviewed with stakeholders and more announcements may be forthcoming. *Elections* The Elections Division is suspending all poll-worker training through Friday, March 27. In addition, all public voting system demonstrations at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and suburban libraries are suspended through Friday, March. 27. Voting system demonstrations will continue Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., in Room 604 of the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Voters can still learn about the county's new voting system, get step-by-step instructions, and watch instructional videos at www.alleghenyvotes.com. The Elections Division also reminds voters that voting by mail is now an option in Pennsylvania. To learn more and apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, visit www.votespa.com. *Kane Community Living Centers* Based on recommendations from Pennsylvania Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Kane Community Loving Centers are implementing a no visitor policy. Exceptions will be made in instances of end-of-life, or when a resident’s health becomes severely critical and visitation from immediate family members, friends and religious leaders becomes necessary. In those cases, visitors will be subjected to a brief health assessment and will only have access to their specific resident and the visit may take place in a private area other than the resident’s room. All resident trips outside of the center are also being canceled except those necessary for the resident’s health, such as trips to a physician’s office that cannot be postponed. *Parks* All nine county parks will remain open to the public. Parks officials join ACHD in encouraging the most vulnerable groups, which include the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions, and those that are currently sick, to avoid large events and mass gatherings, as well as other settings where there is close contact with a large group of people. Park users who wish to cancel facility reservations or nature and recreational program registrations will receive full refunds. Reservations and registrations may be canceled by emailing name and permit number to webmaster.parks@alleghenycounty.us or by calling 412-350-2455 Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-4:00 pm. This policy will remain in effect until further notice. North Park and South Park golf courses will be closed March 16-26 for annual aeration and maintenance. Any extension of golf course closures will be announced. *Shuman Juvenile Detention Center* Visitation policies for the children currently housed at Shuman will remain in place at this time, but visitors may be subjected to brief health assessments to maintain the safety of the children and staff at the facility. These policies will be consistently reviewed and evaluated with potential changes if there is a need to mitigate the spread of illness. The following list contains additional resources and information shared with the county relative to third-party organizations and their response to COVID-19. It is being provided as a courtesy and service to residents. Any questions regarding these announcements should be directed to that agency. Allegheny County Housing Authority <http://www.achsng.com/> is working with its residents who may have their working hours reduced due to the COVID-19 crisis. They will perform timely interim adjustments upon receipt of information. Comcast <http://www.comcastcorporation.com/COVID-19/> is offering new, low-income Internet Essentials customers two months of free internet and raising the speed of that program’s service. Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available for free to all users and data plans will be paused for 60 days, giving customers unlimited data for no additional charge. Additionally, the company will not disconnect a customer’s internet service during this period or assess late fees if they contact the company regarding their inability to pay. Community College of Allegheny County <https://ccac.edu/security/coronavirus-covid-19.php> is adjusting its spring break. Beginning Monday, March 16, and continuing through Saturday, March 21, CCAC will be on spring break with all campuses and centers closed and no classes or clinicals in session. President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark of the Court of Common Pleas announced that jurors summoned for service in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas for any day during the week of March 16 to March 20, 2020 will not be required to report for duty. No jury trials will be picked that week. Any juror who has already been picked to serve on a specific case should still report. Duquesne Light <https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.duquesnelight.com%2Fduquesne-light-eases-customer-burdens-by-discontinuing-shutoff-activities&data=02%7C01%7CAmie.Downs%40AlleghenyCounty.us%7C1bff6b660a784c1e927308d7c790470c%7Ce0273d12e4cb4eb19f708bba16fb968d%7C0%7C0%7C637197294986175204&sdata=jbEzhbSmJrMRlNYhPx%2BEv2rlCqkjNpTwnIRHny3q8gQ%3D&reserved=0> is discontinuing all shutoff activities through at least May 1, 2020. The utility has also implemented access restrictions to its critical operational facilities to support the continued provision of safe, reliable power to communities. FirstEnergy <http://www.firstenergycorp.com/> will temporarily suspend shutoffs and offer payment options to help ease hardships. Pennsylvania American Water <http://www.amwater.com/> has placed a moratorium and discontinued service shutoffs in an effort to keep customers safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, the utility is beginning the restoration of service to previously shut-off customers. Pittsburgh Public Schools <http://www.pghschools.org/coronavirus> announced that Grab and Go meals will be available for students that depend on the school breakfast and lunch program during the district’s closure. All 54 school location will offer meals for pick-up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students should go to the location closest to their home. Port Authority of Allegheny County <http://www.portauthority.org/> has moved to begin disinfection of vehicles every 24 hours. There are no operational changes at this time. Finally, as a reminder, the following proactive hygiene measures are strongly encouraged to help stop the virus from spreading in our community: · Washing your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. · Coughing or sneezing into your elbow and not your hands. · Frequently cleaning highly-touched surfaces. · Staying home if you’re sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough and shortness of breath, please stay at home and contact your primary-care provider to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19. If you do not have a primary care provider and are not sure if you need tested, please contact the Health Department at 412-687-ACHD (412-687-2243). If you need to seek immediate medical care, please call 9-1-1 for assistance, or phone ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency department to allow staff at these locations to prepare for your arrival. Allegheny County will continue to communicate with the public as more information is gathered. For the latest information on COVID-19, visit www.alleghenycounty.us/coronavirus. If you are not yet a subscriber to Allegheny Alerts, we encourage you to create an account at www.alleghenycounty.us/alerts and to subscribe for COVID-19 alerts under the categories of Health Department/Health & Environment. ACHD provides a daily update at 11 a.m. via Allegheny Alerts and additional notifications as information becomes available. # # # *Office of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald* 101 Courthouse │ 436 Grant Street │ Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-350-6500 │ Fax: 412-350-6512 www.alleghenycounty.us *Follow us:* allegheny alerts <http://www.alleghenycounty.us/alerts>* | * facebook <http://www.facebook.com/AlleghenyCoExec>* | *instagram <http://www.instagram.com/ace_fitzgerald>* | *linkedin <http://www.linkedin.com/company/allegheny-county>* | *twitter <http://twitter.com/ACE_Fitzgerald>* | *youtube <http://www.youtube.com/AlleghenyCounty> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, forwarding, or distribution is prohibited. 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