Media Releases from the State:
Pennsylvania Extends License Renewal Deadlines for Nurses and Others During Coronavirus Emergency
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
March 27, 2020
Pennsylvania Extends License Renewal Deadlines for Nurses and Others During Coronavirus Emergency
Harrisburg, PA –
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department of State is giving nurses,
graduate medical trainees, nursing home administrators and other professionals
more time to renew their occupational licenses.
April, May and June license renewal deadlines for these professionals -- as well
as for barbers, navigation pilots and real estate professionals -- have been
extended to July, August and September.
“The Pennsylvania Department of State is giving many professionals, including
nurses, more time to renew their occupational licenses as our commonwealth
fights the COVID-19 pandemic,” Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said. “We have
already
waived some
regulations for nurses,
removed
barriers for pharmacies
to provide services,
enabled
retired health care professionals to practice,
and announced that in-state and out-of-state health-care practitioners can treat
patients via
telemedicine during the coronavirus emergency.”
The following professional and occupational license renewal deadlines will be
extended:
The Department of State is working with the governor’s office, the Department of
Health and the Department of Human Services to identify
regulations and requirements
that can be suspended to give medical providers and facilities the flexibility
they need to respond to COVID-19. The Department of State website will be
updated regularly as additional requirement suspension information becomes
available.
Visit the commonwealth's
Responding to COVID-19 guide
for the latest guidance and resources for Pennsylvanians or the Pennsylvania
Department of Health’s dedicated coronavirus webpage for
the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.
MEDIA
CONTACT: Wanda Murren, (717) 783-1621
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2020
Harrisburg, PA
– The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced a new
tool
available on the department’s website designed to help essential workers connect
with child-care providers that have been granted a waiver by the department’s
Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to continue serving the
families of essential personnel during the COVID-19 emergency.
“While many Pennsylvanians are responsibly heeding guidance from the Department
of Health to stay home, there are still many thousands of essential workers
whose jobs require that they go out into the world and do work that makes it
possible for the rest of us to stay safe and healthy. For many of these workers,
safe and stable child care is an essential need,” said DHS Secretary Teresa
Miller. “DHS is committed to maintaining options for these families, and that’s
why we implemented a waiver process for child care providers to remain open and
serving the children of healthcare workers, first responders and other essential
personnel.”
On
March 16, Governor Wolf recommended that all licensed child care centers and
group child care homes operating outside of a residence to temporarily close
starting Tuesday, March 17. That request has since changed to a mandated order
consistent with the governor’s decision to order all non-life-sustaining
businesses in Pennsylvania closed until further notice.
OCDEL continues to receive and process waiver requests for child care centers
and group child care homes seeking to continue to operate during this time with
the expectation that providers operating with a waiver serve only the families
of essential personnel such as health care providers on the front lines,
emergency and first responders, home care workers serving vulnerable
populations, grocery and food service employees until the governor’s closure
order is lifted.
OCDEL is processing waiver requests based on the information provided in good
faith. If a child-care provider reports that they need to remain open in order
to serve the families of essential personnel, OCDEL will grant that request. To
date, OCDEL has processed and approved more than 700 requests for waivers.
The public can access information about child care providers that have been
granted waivers on the department’s
website,
which includes a
map
linked on the citizen resource page of the COVID-19 section. DHS encourages
essential workers to use this information as a resource to find child care
options available in their community.
Family child care homes and group child care homes operated inside a residence
may continue to operate at their discretion without a waiver. Those provider
types are defined in
regulations
and generally serve fewer children than child care centers operated in a
commercial setting. The public can access information about these providers at
www.findchildcare.pa.gov.
As
the non-life-sustaining business closure order is being enforced around
Pennsylvania, DHS is also reminding law enforcement agencies that some child
care providers may continue to operate. Child care providers operating with a
waiver should be prepared to present this waiver if contacted by law
enforcement.
DHS is grateful to child care providers who continue to serve the families of
essential personnel, and we recognize there is an inherent risk in continuing
these operations while we also focus on mitigating the spread of COVID-19. OCDEL
has worked with health professionals to provide guidance to help child care
providers maintain the health and safety of their staff and children in care.
This
guidance
was distributed earlier this week and is available in the provider guidance
section of the COVID-19 page on the DHS website.
Secretary Miller also reminded families that they must have a back up plan in
place should their child care provider need to close with short notice.
“The COVID-19 situation is evolving quickly, and circumstances for child care
providers operating with a waiver may change,” said Secretary Miller. “I urge
all families who rely on child care to make a back up plan so if that has to
happen, your family will be safe and cared for.”
Visit pa.gov for a
“Responding
to COVID-19” guide
or the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s dedicated
Coronavirus
webpage for
the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.
Guidance to DHS providers related to COVID-19 is available
here.
A media call on this subject will begin at 11:00 a.m on March 27. Members of the
media who are interested may contact Brandon Cwalina at
bcwalina@pa.gov for call-in information.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin James, 717-425-7606
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