News on the coronavirus pandemic, protests, 2020 election and more from around Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Find all of the WESA Daily Briefing posts here.
Editor's note: This post will be frequently updated with the latest news.
5:58 p.m. - Wolf administration announces funding to assist homeless
The Wolf administration today announced nearly $19 million in funding to assist homeless Pennsylvanians or those at risk of becoming homeless during the ongoing pandemic.
Two-thirds of the allocation is dedicated to homelessness prevention efforts with the remainder going toward rapid rehousing, emergency shelters and street outreach services.
The federal money is a combination of Department of Housing and Urban Development and CARES Act funding. It will be distributed to 57 counties, including Beaver, Butler, Fayette and Somerset.
1:16 p.m. - Pennsylvania adds 1,000 cases, biggest single-day report since May
Pennsylvania is reporting its highest one-day total of confirmed coronavirus cases since May, breaking 1,000, although some of the test results, 175, were reported on a delay. The state Department of Health on Friday also reported another 32 coronavirus-related deaths bringing the state’s total to 6,880. As more people are tested, an increase in the raw number of positive tests is to be expected. But if the virus is being brought under control, then the percentage of positive results should be coming down. Pennsylvania’s seven-day positivity rate is 5.3%, according to an Associated Press analysis, and has grown from 4.4% two weeks ago.
1:07 p.m. – Latest COVID numbers
The Allegheny County Health Department reported 180 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total to 4,547. Officials say those cases are from people ranging in age from 2 to 91 years old and are reflective of tests performed between June 24 and July 9. The number of deaths increased by one to 197.
11:37 a.m. - Pence, Biden visit PA
Vice President Mike Pence is working on President Donald Trump’s behalf to try to shore up swing voters in Pennsylvania — and his two chosen topics are the economy, and policing.
After meeting with business advocates in Malvern, Pence swung through Northeast Philly for a raucous rally at the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge.
He presented Trump as the only candidate police can trust, and pushed back on local governments’ recent attempts to rethink policing to cut down on brutality.
“We live in a time when the radical left is presenting the American people with one false choice after another. Like lately we’ve been hearing people say we’ve got to choose between funding our police and funding our communities,” Pence said at the rally.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was also in Pennsylvania at the same time as Pence.
At a speech outside Scranton, he rolled out a $700 billion plan aimed at forcing American companies to stop outsourcing manufacturing jobs. Read more from WHYY’s Katie Meyer here.
7:17 a.m. - County Council committee OKs testing at jail and nursing homes
On Thursday, Allegheny County Council's Public Safety Committee gave a thumbs-up to a COVID-19 testing bill that it opposed just last month. The bill would mandate testing of residents and staff at the county jail and Kane nursing homes. Councilor Paul Klein switched his vote since June. He says he wants to maintain testing at nursing homes as COVID cases spike. The full council must now take up the measure. Bill sponsor Bethany Hallam says she hopes to amend the legislation to allow testing for all county workers.
