The State College Municipal Building will be closed to the public until further notice ‘in response to the increasing prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the county,’ according to a borough news release on Friday.
Staff can be reached by phone at (814) 234-7100 or by e-mail during regular business hours. Taxes and other payments can be paid by using the drop-off box in the front of the building, 243 S. Allen St.. All staff and public meetings will continue to be held virtually or by phone.
A decision on reopening the building will be made as conditions related to the virus improve, according to the release.
The State College Police Department will continue to respond to all emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The non-emergency number is (814) 234-7150.
Borough Public Works crews will continue operating as normal with split shifts for the duration of the closure. Other staff will work remotely as able.
State College joins four other Centre Region municipalities in closing their administrative offices this week because of the pandemic. College, Ferguson, Halfmoon and Harris township municipal buildings are closed until further notice, with staff available by phone and email, drop boxes available for payments and regular municipal services continuing.
Patton Township offices remain open to the public, but township officials prefer if residents contact staff at 814-234-0271 or patton@twp.patton.pa.us and use the drop box in the vestibule of the township building for payments.
Elsewhere in Centre County, the Bellefonte Borough Building has been closed to the public since Nov. 25. Office staff are working remotely and available by phone during normal business hours at (814) 355-1501. ublic services including police, water, sewer, streets and leaf and refuse collection continue to operate as normal.
Centre County has had a total of 7,456 COVID-19 cases, and 1,058 of those have been reported since Dec. 1.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health lists 96 deaths attributed to the virus in Centre County, with 39 reported in December. The coroner’s office has confirmed 71 total COVID-19 deaths in Centre County, ranging in age from 55 to 104.
Mount Nittany Medical Center was treating 47 COVID-19 inpatients as of Friday morning, one fewer than Thursday’s record high of 48.
So far in December, the medical center has admitted 75 COVID positive patients, with an average of 39 COVID positive inpatients per day. In November, a total of 143 COVID positive patients were admitted with an average of 22 inpatients per day, while in October there were 58 and an average daily census of 11 COVID inpatients.
