Wolf extends opioid disaster declaration
Gov. Tom Wolf has extended his opioid disaster declaration for another 90 days.
Wolf in January declared a statewide disaster emergency and launched 13 “key initiatives,” which include speeding up and expanding access to treatment, changes to rules for EMTs responding to reported overdoses and expanded roles for nurse practitioners who deal with addicts seeking recovery services. It was set to end April 10.
Extending the declaration allows the 13 initiatives to continue, Wolf said Wednesday in a news release.
“We have made real progress during the disaster declaration to stem the tide of this epidemic and provide better resources and coordination for those on the front lines,” Wolf said.
One initiative was launching an online “Opioid Data Dashboard” that helps the public gain access to information about what services are available locally. It can be found at: data.pa.gov/stories/s/Pennsylvania-Opioids/9q45-nckt.
Wolf also announced Senate Bill 1001, which would give the authority to the state secretary of health to declare a public health emergency in the future and allocate resources as needed.
