Coronavirus on Smart Talk Thursday; Army deploys medical response teams and Pa. revenue planners project huge shortfall

The national response to the coronavirus pandemic is not slowing down, even as some states and regions begin planning to open their economies and lift work restrictions.

The Department of Defense has a robust medical capability that has been directed to aid in hard-hit communities around the county. The US Army is a big part of the response and many of the Army’s medical resources are found in reserve units, which are located around the county, to include Pennsylvania.

The Army has also created response teams known as “Urban Area Medical Task Forces” from its reserves. The task forces are intended to augment communities that are particularly hard hit by COVID-19.

Maj. Gen. Michael O’Guinn is the Deputy Chief of the US Army Reserves and he joins Smart Talk on Thursday to discuss the military’ response to the pandemic.

Also, the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office released revenue projections for the remainder of the year, and preliminary projections through 2021.

The revenue projections are estimates and based on the impact of COVID-19 business closures and the state-wide stay-at-home order.

Matthew Knittel is the Director of the IFO and appears on Smart Talk to discuss the revenue report, which is based on different scenarios.