When Betty Rutt remembers life before the pandemic, what she misses most is her family.
Thats the hardest thing for all adults this age, if you dont see your family, Rutt said. Because thats almost what you live for.
Rutt, who is 92 and a resident at Brethren Villages Village Manor home, is limited in her ability to see her family, which consists of five children, 13 grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren, due to COVID-19.
She can call them on the phone, or video chat, or meet them in groups of four, 6 feet apart. But its not the same as before, Rutt said, when she could hug them, and eat with them, and see them all at once.
I cant hold them; I cant touch them, Rutt said. Its strange.
Lancaster County nursing and personal-care homes have been hit hard by the pandemic. Of the 440 people in the county who have died from COVID-19, 360, or 82%, were residents of these homes, according to the county coroners office.
A total of eight residents at Brethren Village have died from the virus, which infected a total of 19 residents and 18 staff.
But while nursing and personal-care homes follow state Department of Health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some experts worry that the isolation resulting from safety measures is taking its toll.
92 year old Betty Rutt, who lives at Village Manor personal care building at Brethren Village, talks about living through the pandemic during an interview in the welcome center at Brethren Village Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020.
Douglas Ockrymiek, a psychiatrist at Behavioral Healthcare Corp. in Lancaster, said he has noticed an increase in depression and loneliness among older adults during the pandemic.
The elderly are missing relationships with family, friends, and that has a big impact on them, Ockrymiek said. Theres no doubt that loneliness can lead to an increase in what I call morbidity and mortality.
Loneliness can exacerbate physical decline if a person lacks the motivation to take medication, or develops anxiety-induced shortness of breath, chest pain or lightheadedness, Ockrymiek said.
Lori Schoener, Therapeutic Recreation Director at Brethren Village, talks during an interview at Brethren Village Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020
Its this balancing act, said Tara Ober, vice president of communications and resident life at Brethren Village, which shut down all visitation from March until June as ordered by the state. We want to keep (our residents) safe; we dont want them to die of loneliness.
During the shutdown, only staff, residents and essential personnel could enter Brethren Village, Ober said. They experienced a COVID-19 outbreak in their dementia unit during those months.
Lori Schoener, director for skilled living admissions and therapeutic recreation, described the March to June atmosphere as dark.
If COVID numbers continue to go up, Im not sure that theyll ever have us go back into full lockdown, Schoener said. It took so much pressure from families and providers that said, this cant keep happening; we cant have our residents this isolated.
That was part of the retirement communitys motivation for prioritizing visitation in its recent reopening plan that took effect Oct. 2. Now, residents may accept face-to-face visitors in three ways: indoor groups of four, with everyone wearing masks and spaced 6 feet apart; outdoor groups with the same limitations; or window visits, where residents speak to guests through a plastic screen inside a coat closet.
It was fun, Rutt said of the times shes seen family members. At least I saw em.
Betty Rutt, third from left, is seen with her family at granddaughter Kim Rutt's wedding in this photo from 2019.
Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Other nursing homes and senior living facilities in the county also are promoting socialization among their residents.
Luther Acres in Lititz and ManorCare Health Services in Lancaster Township have yet to resume in-person visitation but are prioritizing virtual communication.
Both were hit hard early on in the pandemic, with 29 Luther Acres residents and 22 ManorCare residents having died of COVID-19.
Luther Acres reported 60 positive cases among residents and 54 among staff. ManorCare reported 104 positive cases among its residents and 34 among staff.
Luther Acres is offering virtual support and outdoor window visits, and hopes to reopen more visitation soon, following required safety measures, according to health care administrator Mark Kessler.
ManorCare spokeswoman Julie Beckert said nearly 600 iPads were ordered for residents to make video calls over the past six months.
All Pennsylvania nursing homes offer compassionate care visits, which allow in-room visitors for residents showing two or more documented signs of declining health. This does not apply to residents with COVID-19.
Tara Ober, Vice President of Communications & Resident Life at Brethren Village, talks during an interview at Brethren Village Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020
Concern about isolations impact on mental health stretches beyond nursing homes.
Lancaster County Office of Agings eight senior centers, which temporarily closed March 14, reopened in September after an influx of calls from members expressing depression, said Lisa Paulson, the offices program director.
Were one of the few counties in the surrounding areas that has our centers open, Paulson said. But we chose to do that because we were hearing from people about their level of depression and loneliness.
The centers allow for about one third as many guests as before the pandemic but are expanding virtual programming to make up for the loss.
For some residents, staying up-to-date on COVID-19 can give them peace of mind. But for others, like Rutt, staying sane amid this years news cycle means avoiding it. She keeps herself occupied by solving Rubiks Cubes, assembling puzzle books and embroidering.
I stay away from it, Rutt said. Theres nothing I can do about it anyhow.
Thats why I try to stay busy, she said.If I sit in my room and think about myself, my head goes crazy. It almost gives you a headache.
Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently awaiting confirmation on a second test, a source has confirmed to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. Mertz made a splash on Friday night when he threw for 248 yards, five touchdowns and only tossed one incompletion in the season-opening 45-7 win over Illinois.
Should the positive result be confirmed via results of the ensuing PCR test, Mertz will be required to sit out for three weeks according to the coronavirus protocols instituted by the Big Ten upon its return to play. He will also have to undergo extensive cardiac testing to investigate any long-term conditions that could arise from COVID-19 including myocarditis.
Wisconsin later released a statement on Sunday event reiterating that it would not release information regarding specific student-athletes.
"Wisconsin Athletics will not be releasing COVID-related testing information regarding any individual student-athlete, due to medical privacy," the statement read. "We will continue to follow Big Ten Conference COVID-19 protocols developed by the Big Ten medical subcommittee and approved by the conference's presidents and chancellors."
The school did say that there were no individuals who tested positive for antigen tests or had COVID-19 symptoms prior to Friday night's game.
The absence of Mertz, assuming he is out, would put enormous pressure on redshirt sophomore backupChase Wolf. Wisconsin will play at Nebraska, vs. Purdue and at No. 13 Michigan over the next three weeks. Wolf completed the only pass he attempted last season a three-yarder in the 61-0 win over Central Michigan in Week 2.
The arrival of Mertz as a star was enormous for the Badgers, who lost returning starter Jack Coan to a foot injury during fall camp. Mertz was a four-star quarterback and the No. 65 overall player in the Class of 2019, and has been touted as the "quarterback of the future" in Madison since he signed on the dotted line.
More than 120 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Lancaster County schools so far into the 2020-21 school year.
The cases come from 16 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter school in Lancaster city and the county's career and technology center.
And that might not be all.
With the Pennsylvania Department of Health not tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, it's up to each district to notify the community of a positive test from someone inside its schools.
Reporting methods differ wildly from district to district.
Some schools have posted a letter online after discovering each positive test. Elizabethtown Area has added a "COVID-19 dashboard" showing the number of at each of its schools.
Hempfield, meanwhile, is publishing daily a simple "yes" or "no" as to whether it conducted contact tracing that day. The number in the list below, therefore, corresponds to the number of times the district has conducted contact tracing. The number of actual cases may be higher.
Some districts haven't published anything.
Only School District of Lancaster has specified whether the positive tests came from a student or a staff member.
With each case comes contact tracing, cleaning and sanitizing buildings and, in some cases, school closures.
Ten schools Conestoga Valley High School, Donegal High School, Donegal Intermediate School, East High Street Elementary School, Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown Area Middle School, the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, Pequea Valley High School, Pequea Valley Intermediate School and Penn Manor High School have temporarily closed this fall due to COVID-19.
Below is a list of known school districts and individual schools that have reported at least one case of COVID-19.
Note: These are cumulative cases; some are no longer active.
Last updated Oct. 26.
List follows map.
TOTAL:121.
Cocalico:Seven three at Reamstown Elementary School, two at Denver Elementary School, and one each at Cocalico High School and Cocalico Middle School.
Columbia Borough: One.
Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Conestoga Valley: Eleven eight at Conestoga Valley High School, and one each at Brownstown Elementary school, Gerald G. Huesken Middle School and Leola Elementary School (new).
Donegal: Four three at Donegal Intermediate School and one at Donegal Primary School.
Eastern Lancaster County: Two at Garden Spot High School (one new).
Elizabethtown Area:Sixteen five at the Elizabethtown Area High School, three each at Elizabethtown Area Middle School and Bear Creek School (one new), Rheems Elementary School and East High Street Elementary School, and one at Mill Rhoad Elementary School.
Ephrata Area:One at Ephrata High School.
Hempfield:Fifteen.
La Academia Partnership Charter School: One.
Lampeter-Strasburg:Five four at Lampeter-Strasburg High School and one at Martin Meylin Middle School.
Lancaster County Career & Technology Center: Four.
Manheim Central: Two one each at Doe Run Elementary School and Manheim Central Middle School.
Manheim Township: Eight two each at Landis Run Intermediate School, Manheim Township High School and Reidenbaugh Elementary School, and one each at Manheim Township Middle School and Nitrauer Elementary School.
Penn Manor:Twelve seven at Penn Manor High School and one each at Central Manor Elementary School, Eshleman Elementary School, Hambright Elementary School, Manor Middle School and Marticville Middle School.
Pequea Valley:Seven two each at Paradise Elementary School and Salisbury Elementary School, one at Pequea Valley High School.Two additional cases were reported within the district, but no school was identified.
School District of Lancaster: Twelve six students and six staff members.
Solanco:One at Quarryville Elementary School.
Warwick: Twelve five at Warwick Middle School (one new), three at Warwick High School and one each at John Beck Elementary School, Kissel Hill Elementary School and Lititz Elementary School. One additional case was reported within the district, but no school was identified.
Are we missing any confirmed COVID-19 cases at Lancaster County schools? Let us know by emailing ageli@lnpnews.com.
Halloween and trick-or-treating is going to look a little different this year with rising concerns of the ongoing pandemic, says Dr. Rutul Dalal, Infectious Diseases medical director, UPMC in the Susquehanna Region, and Dr. David Luo, UPMC primary care.
Enjoy this years celebration for what it is, Luo said. With a little preparation, planning and the proper precautions, you can still make it one to remember.
The virus is here to stay, at least for the next year, Dalal said.
Dalal and Luo both suggest that people get creative if they will be taking their children out trick-or-treating but strongly advise against large gatherings or parties with the inability to socially distance.
Just like after the Fourth of July and Labor Day festivities, communities could see a spike in cases if mitigation measures of masking, social distancing and hand washing are not followed.
We have to keep in mind about our basic factors, hand hygiene, masking, social distancing, Dalal said. We have been seeing in the hospital that the number of hospitalized patients has increased.
Dalal suggests a number of tactics to be cautious of COVID while still enjoying the traditions of the holiday, including minimizing contact, not going in others homes, quarantining the candy pails and bags after trick-or-treating and incorporating cloth masks into costumes.
Typical plastic Halloween masks with the eye holes and mouth holes wouldnt offer any protection either way for children or adults, Luo said.
Dalal added that putting the candy basket or bag in the garage, on the porch or leaving it in a safe area outside for a couple of days will ensure that infection will not be transmitted via candy wrappers.
He also said that when going to eat the treats, wash hands before and after eating them and to not physically touch the candy, but rather use the wrapper to hold the candy.
For those interested in just handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters, the doctors urge people to be mindful, wear a mask over the mouth and nose and sanitize between the trick-or-treaters. Dalal also suggested even having those who are handing out candy make a grabbing tool to minimize human contact.
Dalal added that gloves can be beneficial if the user is able to change gloves between children or sanitize the gloves between the children.
Both Dalal, Luo and all local townships are strongly suggesting individually bagged treats for kids to take as well.
Assess the COVID-19 levels in your own community, he said. If the numbers have been above 5 percent or a 5 percent increase recently, I would try not to venture out.
Dalal and Luo both suggested doing inside alternative activities such as an inside candy scavenger hunt, Halloween movie marathons or pumpkin carving if your family is more susceptible to the virus or is immunocompromised.
It can still be enjoyable, Dalal added.
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said progress is being made in New York in reducing the COVID infection rate in clusters.
He says the positivity rates in Brooklyn and Queens, and in Rockland and Orange counties were all down this week.
Cuomo said the rate in these so-called micro-clusters is 3.18%.
The rest of the state, excluding those areas, is at 1.06%.
That is great news. It says the focus works, and it says we can get the positivity under control, Cuomo said.
RELATED STORY Gov. Andrew Cuomo: COVID-19 Outbreaks Will Be Analyzed On Block-By-Block Level As State Targets Micro-Clusters To Slow Spread
Last week, the governor eased restrictions in some areas, allowing businesses and schools in Queens and parts of Brooklyn to reopen.
MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK
You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app.Download here.
Data from both Lehighs COVID-19 dashboard and the Pennsylvania Department of Health shows the potential impact the recent outbreak on campus has had on the larger community.
Lehighs COVID Response Team announced a scaleback of campus activity on Oct. 2, after 22 new positive cases were reported on and off campus. Since that announcement, at least 151 positive cases have been reported. In a one-week span, active cases dropped from 82 to 28 as of Oct. 23.
Loading
Graphic by Jenna Simon/B&W Staff
The chart above compares Lehighs new COVID-19 cases to those of Northampton County. During the week of Sep. 28, new Lehigh cases made up over 50 percent of all new cases in Northampton County. The following week, Lehigh students contributed to approximately 40 percent of new positive COVID-19 cases in Northampton County.
These figures beg the question: How badly did Lehighs COVID-19 outbreak affect the greater Northampton County community?
While there is no clear evidence that Lehigh students directly affected other citizens of Northampton County, the data does suggest that Lehighs COVID-19 outbreak played a role in increasing positive cases in the area.
The week of Sep. 14, in which Northampton County had 136 positive cases, appears to be an outlier. This number dropped until cases at Lehigh went up. During the peak of the outbreak at Lehigh, the university was reporting a positivity rate of four percent in its weekly surveillance testing. That number has since dropped to close to one percent.
A major concern worldwide has been the transmission of the virus between young people, a demographic much less likely to be affected as severely.
Maggi Mumma, deputy press secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said in April, six percent of cases in Northeastern Pennsylvania were between the ages of 19 and 24. Today, that number has increased to approximately 20 percent of all cases in the region.
Gov. Tom Wolf said earlier in October he was concerned about rising case numbers in the state, specifically citing the opening of Pennsylvania colleges and universities as one factor driving up the case count. The Keystone State recorded a pandemic-high 2, 219 cases on Friday, and Saturday also saw more than 2,000 cases in Pennsylvania.
The Department of Health remains significantly concerned about the potential spread of this virus, particularly among young people, Mumma said. Health care officials all across the state are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases in young people.
Mumma said cases are recorded in the county in which the person is spending the majority of his or her time. Since the student is spending more of the year near campus than at home, the case would count in the colleges county. Lehigh is also reporting cases among students specifically in the Bethlehem area on its dashboard, so the Department of Healths Northampton County data and the university data are likely to align with one another.
In response to the outbreak, Lehigh administration moved the campus to all remote learning, closed all gyms and libraries, shut down athletics, increased testing and moved dining to takeout only. Additionally, over 200 students living on campus have gone home after the new restrictions were announced.
Since the number of cases has fallen significantly, Lehigh announced it would reopen parts of campus on Oct. 26.
From the outset, Lehighs strategy has included the idea that any new information, such as an increase in positive cases or changes in guidance from health authorities, would be met with new protocols, such as greater restrictions and increased testing, as was implemented a few weeks ago the moment an outbreak was suspected, said Lori Friedman, director of media relations.
She also said the administrations strategy included a plan for the occurrence of an outbreak, in addition to outbreak prevention. The Brown and White originally requested to speak with David Rubenstein, executive director of the health center, on this issue, but was directed to Friedman instead.
Lehigh said the spread of COVID-19 likely stemmed from large student gatherings at off campus locations.
We didnt recognize our responsibility to be the best community members we couldve been, said Eve Freed, president of Student Senate.
Although its understandable to have social bubbles in a pandemic, she said, these social bubbles are bound to overlap on a college campus. Freed said she has concern about how Lehigh is impacting the greater community in terms of COVID-19
I think that there shouldve been a greater emphasis sooner on how this was going to impact the communitys mental health, Freed said. The outbreak occurred the same time as when we wouldve been approaching pacing break.
With just a month to go before all in-person activity stops at Thanksgiving break, the administration will soon have to turn to a decision on the spring semester. Lafayette College, for example, already announced it would have students living on campus in the spring.
Jordan Wolman contributed to this article.
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) The Chemung County Health Department announcing this morning that 3 more individuals have passed away due to COVID-19 in Chemung County over the weekend.
One of the individuals was a 67-year-old male from the City of Elmira, one was a 78-year-old male from the Town of Horseheads and the last was an 86-year-old female from the Village of Horseheads.
The county sending out their condolences to the family and friends of the individuals.
According to the Chemung County Health department one of the indivuals is linked to a cluster associated with a golf course.
The County Executive and the County Health Department ask that anyone with questions call them at (607)-737-2028
Eight University students tested positive for COVID-19 from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, the most in a three day time period to date, according to an Oct. 24 email from Executive Vice President of Planning and Policy Russell Carey 91. This is also the most positive test results the University has seen in a one week period since the asymptomatic test program began.
But these results do not represent an emergency based on public health standards, Carey wrote.
The recent increase brings the total number of positive cases from asymptomatic testing to 37.
Meanwhile, at the state and national levels, there are very serious concerns about the trends and positivity rates, Carey said. We are going to continue to emphasize the messages the governor is emphasizing about wearing masks, social distancing (and) keeping gathering sizes low.
The governor asked for increased vigilance with small family gatherings, small gatherings with friends (and) work environments, Carey said. In these places, people know each other, they trust each other, they take their mask off, and they are in close proximity to each other, he added. Somebody could be asymptomatic in that setting but still transmit the virus.
Raimondos messaging on COVID-19 precautions is consistent with the Universitys public health campaign, Carey said during a conversation with The Herald Oct. 22, before his email announcement.
There is nothing that we had to do that we werent already doing from the last week or so of communications from the state, Carey said.
The governor asked for increased vigilance with small family gatherings, small gatherings with friends (and) work environments, Carey said. In these places, people know each other, they trust each other, they take their mask off, and they are in close proximity to each other somebody could be asymptomatic in that setting but still transmit the virus, Carey added.
The most important step we can all take to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 is to wear a mask whenever you are with other people beyond your immediate household or pod, Carey reiterated in his Oct. 24 email. Mask wearing is a simple but critical step to prevent the spread of this virus.
University students can practice the same vigilance by strictly limiting social interaction to pods and maintaining mask-wearing during class and during passing conversations, which are the best practices that students and faculty are already following very carefully, Carey said.
With Election Day coming up, there are options for emergency voting at the Providence City Hall. Voting is considered an essential off-campus activity, but people should wear a mask and maintain social distancing while they do that, Carey said.
In addition, the University will be hosting a polling location on campus in the Pizzitola Center on Election Day. We are working very closely with the city to make sure that is conducted safely, Carey said, emphasizing alternative ways of voting safely, such as voting by mail and early voting.
Gathering size limitations will still apply on Election Day. This is not an election where we can host a watch party in Leung Gallery, and thats unfortunate but (those are) the circumstances that we are in, Carey said.
Representatives from campus life, the college and other offices on campus will be available on election night and into the early morning to provide guidance, support, and, if people are gathering, remind them of safety regulations particularly with regards to mask wearing and social distancing.
Kamran King contributed reporting
CHICAGO (CBS) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said over the past week, Illinois has the second highest COVID-19 case count in the U.S.
This new wave of the virus has local doctors paying close attention. CBS 2s Steven Graves on Sunday asked how hospitals were preparing.
Doctors around Chicago are quick to point out that their understanding of COVID-19> is much better now than it was two months ago.
How do you take care of patients with COVID? How do you respond? said Dr. Bala Hota, who studies COVID-19 data at Rush University Medical Center.
Were definitely more prepared, but its unclear how big this wave will be, said Dr. Nishant Agarwal, a surgeon at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
This week, COVID-19 cases hit more than 400,000. CDC data shows Illinois was the second highest contributor after Texas.
While that is shocking, doctors said it does not tell the whole story.
When you look at the cases per 100,000, we are much lower, Hota said. Were about in the middle of the country.
But that does not mean there is an excuse to relax. Physicians said while right now, hospitalizations are only slightly up, the next two to four weeks are crucial.
Hospitalizations do lag compared to increases in testing rates, so we may start seeing an increase in hospitalizations, Hota said.
But much has changed at hospitals from managing patients to the screening process and testing.
Dr. Agarwal, a surgeon, is on a team developing a saliva test. He said the better the testing methods, the safer hospitals are to stay up and running.
[Protocols] were put in place the surge in spring to just sort of keep the patients, their families, and the health care staff safe, he said.
Another change is that the therapeutic remdesivir now has full Food and Drug Administration approval. That means hospitals have more access to use it on some of the most critical patients.
I mean, there has been ample supply, Hota said.
Doctors said social distancing, hand washing, and masking up are still the best ways to stop the spread. They expressed hope that the holiday season does not take things in the wrong direction.
Were hopeful that the trends reverse, Hota said, but if things start to change, were ready.
Rush has teams involved in clinical trials to develop a vaccine. The staff projects it will be tested and available early next year.
Also From CBS Chicago:
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 43 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at over 1.15 million.
The Irish government expects to be able to start vaccinating vulnerable people against COVID-19 in the first half of next year, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday.
Most remaining restrictions in Melbourne, Australia, will start to be eased from tomorrow. It comes after no new cases were reported in 24 hours - the first time that had happened in four months.
Spain's Prime Minister has announced a new state of emergency. Local nighttime curfews have been imposed and travel is banned between regions in some cases.
France has registered a record daily tally of new COVID-19 cases - 52,010. The new cases take its total to 1,138,507, moving it ahead of Argentina and Spain.
The Czech Republic is likely to increase restrictions, as current measures have not halted a surge in infections, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said yesterday.
The Financial Times has reported that a coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford, working with AstraZeneca, produced a robust immune response in elderly people, according to early results from tests.
As part of work identifying promising technology use cases to combat COVID, The Boston Consulting Group recently used contextual AI to analyze more than 150 million English language media articles from 30 countries published between December 2019 to May 2020.
The result is a compendium of hundreds of technology use cases. It more than triples the number of solutions, providing better visibility into the diverse uses of technology for the COVID-19 response.
To see a full list of 200+ exciting technology use cases during COVID please follow this link.
2. Record cases in the US
The United States has reported its highest number of new COVID-19 cases on Friday and Saturday. A record 84,244 new cases were reported on Friday, and throughout October records for daily increases in new cases have been set in 29 states.
A Reuters tally also shows that hospitalizations have hit a two-month high.
The city of El Paso, Texas, has responded by asking its residents to stay home for the next two weeks, with parks and recreational facilities closed in El Paso county. A curfew was also introduced yesterday, from 10pm to 5am.
For the sake of those hospitalized and the frontline healthcare workers working tirelessly each day to care for them, we ask you to please stay home for two weeks and eliminate your interactions with those outside your household until we can flatten the curve, said the citys public health director, Angela Mora.
In total, more than 8 million cases have been reported across the US.
Image: Our World in Data
3. Restrictions tightened in Italy
Restrictions have been increased in Italy, in response to rising cases.
Bars and restaurants will have to close by 6pm, while public gyms, cinemas and swimming pools are being forced to close completely.
We think we will suffer a bit this month but by gritting our teeth with these restrictions, well be able to breathe again in December, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.
The country reported a record daily total for new cases on Sunday - 21,273.
