Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Photo: Shutterstock

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action from the week of April 6. The Pennsylvania Senate was in recess at press time, subject to being called into session by President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson. The state House of Representatives was in session Tuesday. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, both chambers were practicing social distancing, with senators being authorized to vote remotely, and state representatives provided the option of voting by proxy through their party whips.

Medical Supplies

The Wolf administration April 6 launched a portal for Pennsylvania manufacturers that currently make or can pivot to producing COVID-19-related supplies to exchange information with the state government.

The Pennsylvania Manufacturing Call to Action Portal is designed to identify businesses' supply chain capabilities, needs, workforce gaps and opportunities. Reporting this information will help facilitate the connections businesses need to get critical COVID-19-related products to market or retrofit their operations to begin production of those products, according to a statement from the Wolf administration.

"We're asking everyone to do their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including ensuring that our health care system is prepared to care for patients and that there is access to critical personal protective equipment and products as more individuals and businesses take preventive measures," Gov. Tom Wolf said. "Throughout our commonwealth's history, our manufacturing sector has answered the call to move us forward and contributed tremendously in times of turbulence. I call upon our private sector to be a part of the solution to this crisis."

The new portal complements one designed for sellers of critical medical supplies, called the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal.

Wolf also signed an order April 8 allowing Pennsylvania emergency management officials to commandeer N95 face masks, ventilators and other crucial medical equipment for use in the fight against COVID-19.

The order requires private and public health care facilities, manufacturers and other companies to tabulate their supplies of personal protective gear, drugs and other medical equipment, and provide an inventory to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in five days. PEMA will make the supplies available to areas of the state hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak, Wolf's order said.

"Combating the pandemic means we all have to work together. That means we need to make the best use of our medical assets to ensure the places that need them the most, have them," Wolf said at a video news conference.

Providers and companies whose supplies were confiscated will be reimbursed, according to the order.

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, a trade group, said a statewide, voluntary mutual aid agreement is already in place to deploy critical supplies where they are needed.

President and CEO Andy Carter said the group will work with the Wolf administration to "ensure that allocation of resources is orderly, effective, and collaborative."

As of April 6, the Wolf administration said, hospitals have not yet experienced a surge of COVID-19 patients, but Pennsylvania is taking additional steps to ensure that the health care system has access to critical equipment, as the number of positive cases of the virus rises daily.

Pennsylvania has requested 1,000 ventilators from the Strategic National Stockpile but the request was on hold due to in-state availability of ventilators.

The state government has procured and is awaiting receipt of 400 additional ventilators from a private vendor. It has also requested N95 masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, goggles and face shields and Pennsylvania has received several shipments from the national stockpile.

Pandemic-Related Bias

Civil rights advisory commissions April 7 issued a call for the public to remain vigilant after the Pennsylvania State Police reported an increasing number of incidents targeting members of the Asian American community due to misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wasi Mohamed, the chairman of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, said in a statement there have been reports of physical and verbal abuse, as well as boycotts of some AAPI-owned businesses.

"It's wrong to shift blame or accuse Asian Americans for this crisis," said state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin. "Pathogens do not discriminate."

Wolf said that discrimination could be a barrier to stanching the impact of the pandemic.

"I am advocating for all Pennsylvanians to take a stand against anti-Asian racism and report any discrimination they see," Wolf said. "Hate is just one more symptom of this terrible disease. If we want to win our war against COVID-19, then we all need to work together."

The state police pledged in a letter it would investigate thoroughly all reports of hate or bias crimes spurred by the coronavirus outbreak.