During his telephonic town hall meeting for his constituents in Carbon and Luzerne counties Thursday, state Sen. John Yudichak criticized the state Health Department for failing to respond adequately to the crisis unfolding in nursing homes not only throughout his district but all over the state.

Yudichak was commenting to a caller who said she was astonished that the nursing home where a relative is a resident was pleading for much-needed supplies. “I brought as much stuff as I could from home, but why should I have to?” the caller asked.

Yudichak said he was not satisfied with the department’s response when he questioned why nursing homes were struggling to get even the most basic of supplies. Yudichak said these employees and residents are among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He underscored this assertion by noting that 80% of the deaths in Carbon County, 65% in Luzerne County and 60% statewide have occurred at nursing homes and similar facilities.

To try to help nursing homes in his district, a $500,000 SOS fund was established to try to supply some of the most critical needs, such as disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.

Joining Yudichak were Dr. Michael W. Evans, medical director of Lehigh Valley Physicians Group – Hazleton; Eric Kratz, executive director of the state Senate’s Labor and Industry Committee, and Dan Santaniello, president and CEO of Fidelity Bank in Dunmore.

Evans is concerned that if the state opens too quickly or if residents do not observe social distancing and other precautions, a second surge will be worse than the one we are going through now and could overwhelm the area’s medical facilities.

Evans said there is a high intensive care unit population at his hospital that could ramp up significantly during a second surge. That said, he complimented area residents for following stay at home and distancing directives, because in doing so the area has been spared from seeing the numbers of major worldwide hot spots such as New York City and Italy.

It’s no secret that the Labor and Industry staff has been overwhelmed by the number of unemployment compensation claims that have flooded into the state. With 1.6 million Pennsylvanians out of work and trying to apply for benefits at the same time, applicants are finding difficulty signing up or even getting through to complete basic paperwork. The number of claims is twice as many as in all of 2019, Yudichak said.

Kratz explained that full-time workers who qualify for state unemployment compensation automatically will receive the $600 payment through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security program. The federal payment will come about midweek after the state payment, he said.

A separate program for self-employed and gig workers is partially in place and will be completely up and running shortly, Kratz said.

Santaniello called the two federal Payroll Protection Programs a “lifeline” for small businesses that should carry them forward for the next eight weeks. Santaniello urged these entrepreneurs who need help to establish relationships with their community banks.

He said that his Lackawanna County bank has processed 1,200 loans in three weeks, with 60% of the bank’s employees working from home.

The remote town hall panelists fielded about 10 questions before the hourlong program came to an end. Yudichak, a former Democrat turned Independent, invited anyone with questions to send an email through his homepage, www.senatoryudichak.com.