State releases early rent and property tax rebates during COVID-19 pandemic
Pennsylvania began releasing rent and property tax rebates Tuesday to qualifying residents weeks ahead of schedule to help relieve financial burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a bill authorizing the early release of the money and extend the deadline to apply for the program through the end of the year, his administration said.
“We hear you. We’re doing everything in our power to help,” state Treasurer Joe Torsella said when he joined Wolf in an announcement of the early release of the money.
People who are 65 or older and those with disabilities can apply for the rebates that are funded by slots machines. Widows and widowers above age 50 can apply, as well, as long as they meet income guidelines.
Meanwhile, the state Health Department released a database of long-term care facilities that have had outbreaks of the virus, listing three of them in Washington County.
There was one death from COVID-19 at ManorCare Health Services Peters Township, the company confirmed, saying the person may have had other issues that contributed to the death. Two other homes in the county had a limited number of cases that did not involve deaths.
Pennsylvania continued Tuesday in being successful in slowing the spread of the virus by adhering to mitigation strategies that kept people in their homes and closed nonessential businesses, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said.
“We cannot let the virus win,” Levine said.
There were 119 new deaths statewide from the virus, bringing the total Tuesday to 4,624, Levine’s office said. There were 610 new cases reported statewide, moving the total to 63,666.
Another person has died in Washington County from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to five. The positive case count dropped from 133 to 130 because of a change in the state’s data collection system.
Greene County remained at 27 positive cases and no deaths from the disease.
In another development, the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement announced Tuesday that it suspended the license of Rusty’s Pittsburgh Sports Bar for opening on two occasions in violation of Wolf’s business-closing order.
Wolf said he signed a bill allowing some bars to sell to-go cocktails to allow them to earn more money during the pandemic.