Commissioners try to address virus concerns

WEST GOSHEN » On Friday, March 13, the three Chester County commissioners appeared at a press conference in the Government Services Center and announced the first identified presumed positive infection of the novel coronavirus in the county.

On Thursday, the trio appeared in the same venue to try to quell the rising concerns in the county about the deadly virus outbreak and provide encouragement for residents and workers trying to cope in a dire situation that seems to worsen daily.

There are now 11 people tested positive for coronavirus in Chester County. One is Uwchlan, one

from Willistown, one from West Pikeland, one from North Coventry, two from East Goshen, two from East Marlborough, two from West Chester and one from Malvern. four of those tested are aged 50 to 59 and three aged 30 to 39. And 45 Chester County residents tested negative for coronavirus. All are isolated at home, with mild symptoms and recovering.

“Chester County remains committed and hard working to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus,” said commissioners’ Chairwoman Marian Moskowitz at the opening of a press conference centered on the virus. “We have cast our net wide, working with many partners to try to meet the needs of every person in Chester County who is feeling the immense impact of this pandemic.”

Moskowitz paid tribute to the many people who were working to meet the needs in the community related to the virus — nurses, doctors, hospital aides, shopkeepers, restaurant workers. “Those are the first responders today. We need to make sure we thank them when this is over because they are doing an incredible job,” she said.

In an update of numbers, county Health Department Director Jeanne Casner said that as of 9 a.m. Thursday, the county had recorded 10 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 — six men and four women in six municipalities.

All were having only mild symptoms associated with the disease, and were resting comfortably, mostly at home. The oldest person infected was the first case identified, a 56-year-old woman from West Pikeland; the youngest is a 20-year-old woman from East Goshen. There have been more than 100 negative tests, and there have been no deaths in the

county, and only one in the state.

But while residents may be relatively healthy physically, the negative impact of the virus has been more significant when it comes to the county’s economic health, according to figures discussed by commissioners’ Vice Chairman Josh Maxwell.

Following the telephone Town Hall, the commissioners convened with business leaders on Tuesday; nearly 750 small business owners responded to a Business Impact Survey distributed by the county online. According to Maxwell, 60 percent of those responding reported that layoffs, temporary closures, or even permanent closures have already occurred because of the virus. Sixty-one percent of those said they had postponed hiring that was planned, or had laid off or furloughed employees.

“Many small business owners have immediate concerns about making rent,

payroll and mortgages,” he said, promising to remain on top of those concerns, although county resources are limited in assisting small businesses. “We will continue to work together to support our business community during this time,” he said, “including getting out information to those who have become unemployed about changes to rules regarding applying for help.”

Kichline took a more inspirational approach and related the pressures her own parents, native Hungarians, had experienced during World War II and the Cold War, but triumphed over, and spoke of the memories of an aunt who had lived through polio outbreaks in the 1930s and 1940s.

“This is a difficult time for everyone in Chester County,” she said. “But this country is strong, and these communities are strong. We will get through this. I’m speaking to the children in our community: we will get through this.”