NorCo Executive Lamont McClure and Easton Hospital have agreed to continue Covid-19 testing until May 22. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 10:00AM – 4:00PM, in the main parking lot at Easton Hospital, 250 S 21st Street, Easton, PA 18042. The risk of viral transmission at a drive-thru site is much lower than at a walk-in clinic. Thus far, 280 NorCo residents have been tested.
The reason for this testing, which is funded under the CARES Act, is to persuade Governor Tom Wolf to re-open the County. "“We can’t reopen our county until we know how prevalent the virus is in our community," explained McClure.
Only residents from Northampton County will be accepted for testing and they must show at least one of the following CDC recognized symptoms of Covid-19 to be eligible: fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or loss of taste and/or smell. A prescription from a doctor is not required. Although insurance is not required to be tested participants should bring a photo ID and their insurance card, if they have one, with them.
40 comments:
Thank you for posting this. I haven’t seen it mentioned in the MC or on 69. . I don’t understand why the local news media doesn’t seem to be following this.
And if results are positive and you have vague symptoms, what do you do? Does that mean you just got it, are recovering, or what? What follow up? Will this just be a way for the Pa. "leaders "to say see its out there. No talk of how many have had it and are well. This epidemic has show how statistics and their manipulation can be used to drive policies and political agendas. Our schools need to teach good statistics courses. Statistics can free or enslave a nation. If our current leaders would separate out the numbers of the misery and death in our care facilities, Wolf and his pediatrician would be ridden out of town on a rail.
Much needed. Our local hospitals are overwhelmed. They are killing fields with patients lining hallways and bodies stacked like cord wood. Oh wait ..... that never happened and we're still under house arrest. Weird.
These tests are not necessarily indicative of anything beyond just that specific, single day the test was given. Admiral Girior explained this in detail at a recent press conference outside the White House. In addition, the motivation for using the Easton Hospital site results, while worthy, is a very poor indicator of the status of Northampton County.
The test sample size is incredibly small in context to a total population of more than 300,000 residents. But, the topic of testing has become the current ‘buzzword’ used to demonstrate why the Lock-down must continue indefinitely.
What was once a goal of ‘flattening the curve’ to allow sufficient time in preparation of continued cases so as not to overwhelm facilities, has been modified. Now, it appears, testing/lack of testing can be used to prolong the economic destruction of families well into Summer, all by cooking numbers ‘seasoned to taste’ by Gov. Wolf and his incompetent (for this type crisis) Health Director Levine.
If Wolf required citizens to enter box cars to be tested, so many would line up willingly and take selfies while waiting.
In reading the latest SpotlightPA (link at Left) it again looks like the Wolf Administration is just making things up by the day. Even worse, the scheming is being done in total secrecy as Wolf refuses to produce documents to explain his moves. So many inconsistencies. Can’t believe any of the penalties Wolf lays on a business could stand-up in court. Depends on the Judge, that’s what’s scary.
I just want to thank Gov. Wolf for protecting us from the virus.
Anon 8:36 said:
"I just want to thank Gov. Wolf for protecting us from the virus."
Far from protecting us, Wolf's policies have made us more vulnerable.
PA currently ranks sixth in the number of cases and fifth in the number of deaths. He's ignored the nursing homes, which has resulted in 2/3 of the deaths coming from such places. Even worse, he has made a political alliance with other northeast governors whose similar policies have resulted in an even higher number of deaths in their states. All this while tanking the PA economy.
In short, he's put politics in front of people.
Tom Wolf and the elected democrats who support him - wrong on the virus, wrong for PA, and wrong for you.
Oh no, he's very right for me. I think he should have a third term. He's been a very, very good governor. I'm surprised you don't see that.
8:37 (Parts 1 & 2):
You seem to be a little off-topic, since I seen none of the quotes you cite in either the original post or the comments before you.
Maybe it's just the voices in your head, or could it be the Russians?
Anon 8:49 said:
"Oh no, he's very right for me. I think he should have a third term. He's been a very, very good governor. I'm surprised you don't see that."
Yeah, I don't see that, and I'm not alone.
Many counties are ignoring the governor and reopening on THEIR schedule. Closer to home, they're even holding street celebrations and ignoring his draconian edicts in downtown Allentown, which is a democrat stronghold.
I can only hope that he continues his strong-arm tactics and stubbornness. He'll do more to harm the democrat party in three months than republicans have been able to do in three decades.
No, he's the best. He's probably saved both of our lives.
Boy, 8:37, you sure are obsessed with Bernie’s opinion on things. It’s as if your own opinions are more worthy. My opinion of your obsession includes a belief you are acting out in desperation because something is not running as you planned. This site is a defense mechanism for you. That’s understandable. It’s how many react under stress.
I am observing an overreach by this Pennsylvania Governor. Each day, I see more evidence his own plan isn’t running as well as he thought, either.
Pennsylvania voters are watching. Average citizens, including small business owners who are being badly damaged by his Administration. Negative consequences due to Wolf’s plan will not bode well for any politician connected to Wolf. Especially those politicians who quietly watch from the sidelines as their state’s economy is being destroyed.
Levine said he didn't know exactly how a county moves from yellow to green! It's his freakin plan and he doesn't know how it works! They're conjuring and making shit up to keep things paralyzed until November. Today we'll get another set of percentages that don't equal 100% and we'll be told about things ex-pa-dential. This is ridiculous.
837 ran out of chill pills. Hopefully RiteAid will have restock today. Calmness during crisis is critical
Anonymous said...
Boy, 8:37, you sure are obsessed with Bernie’s opinion on things. It’s as if your own opinions are more worthy. My opinion of your obsession includes a belief you are acting out in desperation because something is not running as you planned. This site is a defense mechanism for you. That’s understandable. It’s how many react under stress.
May 13, 2020 at 9:07 AM
Do you play a psychologist on TV? I'm irritated by his constant assholery. I don't like being silenced, so this is my response. It didn't have to come to this, but here we are.
9:08 -
Yes, this has reached the point of absurdity. Reading the news, it seems this is a wonderful day to “throw Gov. Wolf under the bus.” Figuratively, of course.
"And if results are positive and you have vague symptoms, what do you do?"
Self-isolate 14 days.
Anon 8:54 said: "...I'll repost again. Everyone needs a hobby."
And I'm glad this is your hobby. Otherwise, I'd have to use MY valuable time writing post after post about the arrogance and blind political obedience of Wolf and his supporters to the failed policies of northeast governors. But you do that job for me!
Sometimes, I think you're a republican operative.
Either way, I appreciate it and thank you for your service.
I want to thank Dr. Levine for keeping me safe. She moved me out of danger from a nursing home, which was at high risk because of the lack of attention by the Wolf administration.
Signed, Mrs. Levine
"While Levine beefs up rules and oversight at nursing homes and long-term care facilities, ABC27 learned the health secretary’s mother recently vacated a personal care home in the Midstate."
"Many in Harrisburg wondered what kind of message it sends — when a close relative of the person tasked with overseeing those types of facilities doesn’t choose to stay in one. Levine countered that she is working to protect the health of all Pennsylvanians."
https://www.abc27.com/news/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-health-secretary-offers-guidance-governor-insists-on-gradual-reopening/
All of this comes down to Trump's failures on testing. It's a total scandal.
That troll got pissed yesterday bc I deleted him. He's a good little Nazi and wants Wolf to arrest everyone who dares to try eke out a living. That's fine, but he also hijacks this blog. I should let him go on bc he defeats himself with poor argument, but he always manages to go off topic and is nauseatingly repetitive. So I delete him, and this makes him even crazier. Good. Lol.
Bernie -
Does the extension of testing at Easton Hospital come at an additional cost to NorCo taxpayers? I believe the county initially sent $150,000 to the hospital.
Either way, I don't think it's appropriate for taxpayers to be funneling money to struggling hospitals. If anything, county government should be demanding that the major hospitals step up testing on their own dime.
The large hospitals (LVH and St. Luke's) and their related health networks are sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars and are already getting huge tax breaks at every level of government. Part of maintaining their non-profit status is supposed to be their charitable works.
The days of counting the occasional screening clinic as their contribution - and politicians turning a blind eye to it - should be over.
This is still being funded with federal dollars received from the CARES Act, although county tax dollars are paying for the EMS personnel at this site.
Bernie O'Hare 10:05 said...
"This is still being funded with federal dollars received from the CARES Act, although county tax dollars are paying for the EMS personnel at this site."
Sorry, I should have been clearer about the source. But is it still being funded from the initial $150,000, or has there been an additional allocation?
My thought remains the same, that this money shouldn't be going to hospitals and might be better used elsewhere.
And do you know how much the EMS personnel are costing?
Obviously, it is costing more than the original $150k. As for the soft costs associated with EMS personnel, I do not know.
Bernie, Everyone here in the valley that is supporting/petitioning/demanding we get moved from phase RED to YELLOW should know that YELLOW really only helps our mom and pop retailers(which is a very good thing) but beyond that changes nothing. National retailers are remaining closed in the current YELLOW counties and everything else looks and feels like here. I was in YELLOW cos. Mon-Tues. That said, what should be of great concern to everyone is there is no criteria from Wolf to get from YELLOW to GREEN. While Wolf had us all so concerned about getting moved to YELLOW, we may be on YELLOW longer than on RED. He's stringing us along. God help us.
When an individual displays an obsessive/compulsive behavior outside the norm it draws greater attention to their behavior. There is a mystery behind what makes someone behave as they are. We look for clues to an answer because it all seems illogical. Their repetitive thoughts are examined for any connections.
In the case before us, a poster is supporting the policy of someone closely related to one political party. To many observers, the unnatural behavior seen from this poster actually hurts the poster’s cause. It ties the policy to a revolting act. Not a good look. Not at all helpful to anyone else representing that same political party.
If this is all too confusing, I’ll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express tonight. We can talk.
Despite increased testing, Georgia just reported its lowest number of new daily cases since the start of the outbreak. Remember the dire predictions about those stupid, trailer-dwelling rednecks opening too soon? You know who you are. I suspect the result will be the same for we family-supporting "cowards" in Pennsylvania as it's been for the lesser humans in Georgia. We should always remember the party that thought us "cowards" for wanting to escape house arrest and feed our families. Reminds me of my great uncle being turned in to the Constabulary for stealing food to feed his younger brothers in Ireland. We always thought him more a hero than a coward.
"Georgia just reported its lowest number of new daily cases since the start of the outbreak."
Hmmm, didn't see it on my Google News feed. I wonder why. /sarc
Maybe they were too busy cherry picking tiny counties around the country that voted for Trump that happen to be having "spikes" of a hundred new cases or so.
5:06
Rural communities going up but the state going down? What is your source?
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