COVID-19
Updates

A message from the City of New Kensington:

We recognize that COVID19 Coronavirus must be taken very seriously. There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our citizens. We are also aware that this situation is evolving on a rapid basis and The City of New Kensington is closely monitoring what is occurring and adapting to constant changes. We will be strictly following the recommendations from the local, state, and federal authorities. We will take all of the recommendations being made by the CDC very seriously. We will do everything we can to protect and assist the citizens of The City of New Kensington. Beginning on Monday, March 16th, we will restrict walk-ins at City Hall, including to the Tax Office, Code Office and City Clerk Office. There will be postings on the doors and windows of those offices with the phone numbers and email addresses of personnel should you need questions answered or assistance. City Hall will remain open working regular hours at this time to serve and assist you via phone and email. Our Police Department will remain open. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL (724) 337-4523. We are certain that if we all band together that we will be all better for it. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. We will update this site with all future decisions and updates regarding all aspects of this situation.

It’s critical that everyone stays informed about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and what you can do to protect yourself from it and other illnesses. If you have any questions, please be sure to speak with your health care provider and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for more information on the coronavirus.

For more information, please read the city’s Declaration of Emergency and the Press Release related to this matter.

3/20/20 UPDATE: Governor Tom Wolf has ordered the closure of non-life-sustaining businesses starting at 8 p.m. on March 19th. For more information, please read the administration’s Press Release related to this matter.

03/21/20 UPDATE: Please watch this brief message from the Mayor:

03/23/20 UPDATE: The City received notification from our garbage collection company regarding trash pickup during the COVID-19 pandemic and until further notice:

Cardboard will need to be placed in trash bags for collection given concerns related to the transmittal of the virus via cardboard.
All waste must be bagged and no loose trash will be collected.
Do not approach drivers. We are working hard to limit driver exposure to individuals within our company to limit the risk of them getting sick and ensuring they can continue to collect waste. Residents approaching the drivers drastically increases the risk of infection.

We apologize for any inconvenience, but this is for the safety of the collection company as well as keeping up with the higher than normal demand. Learn more

Additionally, recycling pick up has been suspended until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.

03/27/20 UPDATE: An update to Governor Wolf’s Stay at Home Order:

City hall offices are closed. If you have any questions or would like more information regarding services, please call (724) 337-4523.
The Police Department remains open. Please call 911 for all police emergencies.
The Tax Office has a drop off box to the left of the main City Hall entrance. All tax payments can be put into the drop box and a receipt will be sent to you. Please include a self Addressed Stamped envelope. If you have any questions, please call (724) 337-4523 or e-mail NKtaxoffice@comcast.net
The Code Enforcement Office is closed. All inspections will be put on hold until further notice. Please call (724) 337-4523 for all Code or Zoning questions.
The City Recycling Pick Up will be suspended until further notice.
City Parks remained closed. All activities such as deck hockey and basketball are suspended until further notice.

Thank you for your tolerance. For more information, please read the full Press Release.

Attention small business owners: The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) board has approved guidelines for a new emergency response program, the COVID-19 Working Capital Access (CWCA) Program. This will be administered through PIDA, which requires ALL PIDA loan applications to be submitted through a Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO); for Westmoreland County, this is the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland.

The CWCA Program is available to small businesses that employ 100 or fewer full-time employees worldwide, including businesses in the agricultural, service and hospitality sectors.

For more information please visit the Economic Growth Connection’s of Westmoreland County’s website.

03/31/20 UPDATE FROM MAYOR GUZZO: As we end this month of March, we continue to face this pandemic with the knowledge that we still have a long road ahead of us. It is my sincere belief that we need to continue to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the CDC, the Federal Government and our State government. We continue to ask you to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Please follow all of the guidelines when you are out in public. This is a shared set of difficulties that each of us must comply with.

I am in constant contact with our amazing first responders. Our Police Force, Fire Department and Ambulance Authority are doing outstanding work and we owe them our deep gratitude. I am continually working at determining their needs and working on getting them the materials and equipment they need now and in the future. I am also in contact with our Water and Sanitation Authorities to ensure that they have what they need. They continue to serve us and we sincerely appreciate their efforts. Our City Hall remains closed to the public, however we are there to answer calls and help as best as we can.

Please visit the State of Pennsylvania Overview Site from the Governor’s office. This site not only provides helpful information and answers frequently asked questions, it also provides an up to date snapshot of the numbers of people being diagnosed in our state and county.

Please contact your family members through phone calls, FaceTime and the like. It is important to stay connected. We are a very close community, one to be proud of. Please contact your elderly neighbors and relatives and those who may be disabled and see if they have any needs. If you find out what they are, please contact City Hall and we will do our best to help. We can be reached at (724) 337-4523. Our people of this City step up in difficult times. It is one of the reasons I am so proud to be Mayor. Please continue to show your kindness, your grace and your strength in this difficult time. We will get through this together.

04/02/20 UPDATE: Please read the following information regarding The Small Business Owner's Guide to The CARES Act for Coronavirus Aid.

For more information, visit Senator Casey’s website for more Coronavirus resources.

04/16/20 UPDATE: Over the last several days, we have received updates from the federal and state governments that we are sharing with you. These include information regarding a guide informing citizens of their rights during this pandemic; community breakdowns of federal Community Development Block Grant funding changes due to COVID 19 and an update from Governor Wolf regarding further safety measures. We have included these updates to keep everyone informed. As always, let’s continue to our best. Please stay safe and be well.

As Pennsylvanians continue to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a new guide advising state citizens of their rights, protections, and supportive programs available.

Those rights include:

Guaranteed access to utilities like heat, water, and electricity
Moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, and auto repossessions
Grace period for paying student loans
Grace period for paying home and auto loans
Waived payments from banks for late and overdraft fees
Expanded unemployment eligibility to gig workers, contract workers who use 1099 forms to pay, workers with previously inadequate employment history, and part time workers
Increased unemployment benefits, roughly double the previously available
Up to 2 weeks paid-leave for individuals caring for a sick family member or child whose school has closed

You can find the full guide here.

These resources describe how grantees may use CDBG funds for a range of eligible activities that prevent and respond to the spread of COVID 19.

Community Breakdown of New Coronavirus Funding for PA

HUD Exchange CDBG Program Information

From Governor Wolf:
In addition to the social distancing, mitigation and cleaning protocols, businesses that serve the public within a building or defined area are ordered to implement the following, based on the size of the building and number of employees:

Require all customers to wear masks while on premises, and deny entry to individuals not wearing masks, unless the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, in which case the business must provide alternative methods of pick-up or delivery of goods, except individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition (including children the age of 2 years) may enter the premises without having to provide medical documentation;
Conduct business with the public by appointment only and, to the extent that this is not feasible, limit occupancy to no greater than 50 percent of the number stated on their certificate of occupancy as necessary to reduce crowding in the business and at check-out and counter lines in order to maintain a social distance of 6 feet, and place signage throughout each site to mandate social distancing for both customers and employees;
Alter hours of business so that the business has sufficient time to clean or to restock or both;
Install shields or other barriers at registers and check-out areas to physically separate cashiers and customers or take other measures to ensure social distancing of customers from check-out personnel, or close lines to maintain a social distance between of 6 feet between lines;
Encourage use of online ordering by providing delivery or outside pick-up;
Designate a specific time for high-risk and elderly persons to use the business at least once every week if there is a continuing in-person customer-facing component;
In businesses with multiple check-out lines, only use every other register, or fewer. After every hour, rotate customers and employees to the previously closed registers. Clean the previously open registers and the surrounding area, including credit card machines, following each rotation;
Schedule handwashing breaks for employees at least every hour; and
Where carts and handbaskets are available, assign an employee to wipe down carts and handbaskets before they become available to a new customer.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in enforcement action that could include citations, fines, or license suspensions. Compliance with the order will be enforced beginning Sunday, April 19 at 8:00 PM.

04/24/20 UPDATE: City of New Kensington Curbside Recycling Collection resumes the week of April 27, 2020. Please follow your normally scheduled day.

As curbside recycling starts back up again, please follow the guidelines below to keep collectors and residents safe:

If someone in your household has been sick, is quarantined or has tested positive for COVID-19, please hold your recycling at home for 14 days before placing it at the curb.
Protect yourself, your neighbors and our community. Do not place possibly contaminated items at the curb.

We would like to thank our residents for their patience during our temporary disruption of service. We look forward to your continued cooperation and participation. View the 2020 Recycling Guide.

05/09/20 UPDATE: On May 8, Governor Tom Wolf announced 13 Pennsylvania counties will move to the yellow phase of reopening at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, May 15. Those counties include Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.

Gov. Wolf reminded residents and business owners that yellow means caution and that everyone needs to continue to be mindful of their actions and how they affect not only themselves, but their families, friends and community.

We thank everyone for their cooperation during this ordeal. Adhering to the recommendations has helped allow us to be in the yellow phase. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to all of our first responders, our City workers, our Water and Sanitary Authority workers, our nurses, physicians and medical staff, the people working at our grocery stores, our pharmacies and at all of our essential places, our volunteers and everyone who has helped and provided for us throughout this period. We will continue to get through this together.

For more information, read the specifics of Governor Wolf’s announcement.

07/01/20 UPDATE FROM PA SENATOR JIM BREWSTER: The application window for the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance program is now open for 10 business days. The grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses that have been economically impacted by COVID-19. Applications must be submitted through a participating Community Development Financial Institution.

Eligible small businesses can begin applying online today through one of the CDFIs serving your county.

My virtual townhall on this program is available to watch here, which contains information about eligibility, priorities, and the documents needed to apply, among answers to many other questions you may have.