The Wolf administration on Saturday elaborated on the Department of Health’s metrics and included an example to aid in calculation.

A target goal for reopening has been set at having fewer than 50 new confirmed cases per 100,000 population reported to the department in the previous 14 days.

For example, an area with a population of 800,000 people would need to have fewer than 400 new confirmed cases reported in the past 14 days to meet the target. An assessment will determine if the target goal has been met.

The administration is working closely with county and local governments to enable the communities to reopen and transition back to work.

The target data goal is not the only metric to be met before reopening a region. Other goals:

• Enough testing available for people with symptoms and target populations such as those at high risk, health care personnel and first responders.

• Robust case investigation and contact tracing infrastructure in place to facilitate early identification of cluster outbreaks and to issue proper isolation and quarantine orders.

• Identification of an area’s high-risk settings including correctional institutions, personal care homes, skilled nursing facilities and other congregate care settings, and assurance that facilities have adequate safeguards in place such as staff training, employee screening, visitor procedures and screening and adequate supplies of PPE to support continued operations.

Pa. also will rely on a modeling dashboard under development and evaluation by Carnegie Mellon University to take a regional and sector-based approach to reopenings, the easing of restrictions and public health response.

Funding for businesses

Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin, on behalf of Gov. Tom Wolf, announced on Sunday that 160 companies in 43 counties have received $13.5 million in funding during the second round of the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program.

The funds awarded under the program to date total more than $23 million awarded to a number of diverse businesses like restaurants, wellness centers, wineries and breweries, consulting firms, and salons and spas.

“These loans will help businesses in the commonwealth quickly access capital to address their critical needs while we continue to follow the governor and health secretary’s orders,” Davin said. “Small businesses are the fabric of our commonwealth, and the Wolf administration is committed to supporting them to the fullest extent during this unprecedented time.”

On March 25, Wolf announced that the Commonwealth Financing Authority authorized the transfer of $40 million to the Small Business First Fund for CWCA. PIDA authorized making $61 million available to provide loans of $100,000 or less to for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees.

PIDA staff are continuing to review submitted applications for approval and are actively working with DCED’s Certified Economic Development Organizations to disburse CWCA loan funds at the time of approval.

Information on future awardees will be released as it becomes available.

Priority testing available

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced on Saturday that workers supporting Pennsylvania’s food supply chain in select areas of eastern Pennsylvania - from farmers and seasonal laborers, to food processing facilities and warehouses, and grocery store workers - would be eligible for priority COVID-19 in Luzerne County, at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

“This priority has been given to workers up and down the supply chain - from farm to store – in Pennsylvania’s most at-risk counties for community spread,” said Redding. “It’s a step to further acknowledge the risk and sacrifice being made by these workers, and further ensure that food will be on the shelves at both our grocery stores and food banks, when Pennsylvanians go looking.”

The priority testing is available to any symptomatic adult working in agriculture or food supply in northeast Pennsylvania, including Carbon and Monroe counties.

Testing at the identified sites comes at no cost, as the tests are run through Pennsylvania’s public laboratory system.