Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
OPEN, OR CLOSED?
In Chesco, only a few people calling for reopening
WEST CHESTER » The chairwoman of the Chester County commissioners said Wednesday that she has heard few calls to demand re-opening of businesses and other entities in the county ahead of Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay at home directives, even as leaders in other counties begin pushing back at the closure edict.
“I’ve gotten three calls,” Democrat Marian Moskowitz said, from county residents expressing concern over the continued shut down, even as the county’s COVID-19 figures trail other counties in the region. “We have not had an influx of those complaints, not as many as certainly some of the other counties are getting. People are smart and they pay attention to what is going on. They know how scary this is.”
Moskowitz made her comment in an interview on the same day that the county government announced that it would continue its “mission essential” policy of keeping most employees in “stay-at-home” modes, even as county offices run on a limited basis to help slow the spread of coronavirus. The extended period runs to Thursday, June 4.
In a press release about the decision, the commissioners said they will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and adjust the status of es
sential services-only as necessary, according to a press release.
The essential services identified by county officials range from the 9-1-1 Center, Chester County Prison, Pocopson Home long-term care facility, the Chester County Youth Center and the Coroner’s Office, to crucial court-related and Human Services functions. Following state guidelines, a “no visitor” policy remains at the prison, the Youth Center and at Pocopson Home.
County Health Department and Emergency Services staff continue to work to provide education, mitigation, communication and investigation services related to COVID-19 for both the county and Delaware County residents.
Since moving to essential operations, the commissioners, the county’s administrative staff and department leaders have established special programs, services and public information to support individuals, families and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Through investment in technology, the county is able to continue around 60 percent of its programs and services remotely during this time, according to a press release.
In a combined statement, the three commissioners — Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline — said, “The re-opening of
Chester County is our priority – but we will only begin the stages of re-opening when it is truly safe and right to do so. The investments we are making in antibody testing and in grant support for Chester County small businesses, along with the advice of our COVID-19 Business Task Force, and the data and guidance of our own Health Department is contributing to the decision about when to move to the first phase of re-opening.”
On the other hand, Republican elected officials in a growing number of counties in the stater are planning to move on their own to lift some of Wolf’s restrictions, including his stay-athome orders and shutdown of businesses deemed “nonlife-sustaining.” The counties assert they have enough testing, equipment and hospital capacity to deal with the coronavirus.
“We have heard the pleas of our residents who desire the ability to safely reopen their businesses and safely return to work,” said nearly identical letters sent by state lawmakers, county commissioners and others in Lebanon and Schuylkill counties.
Franklin, Lancaster and Dauphin, among other counties, are also indicating they plan to lift pandemic restrictions on their own beginning this week.
Wolf said local and county politicians who are encouraging businesses to reopen might not get discretionary state funding. He also said his authority to punish those that open early had been established by the state judiciary.
“To these politicians who decide to cave in to this coronavirus, they need to understand the consequences of their cowardly act,” he said, adding the state’s discretionary funding will go to “those who are doing their part.”
Wolf’s comments also followed a tweet from President Trump that said “the great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now” and added “the Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes.” Wolf is a Democrat.
Although Moskowitz said she had received few communications demanding changes in the county’s adherence to Wolf’s designation of the county as a “red zone,” and this still shut down, area, there have been some demonstrations to that affect.
On Tuesday, a group of about 50 or so people paraded through the streets of downtown West Chester carrying red-whiteand-blue “Open” signs and chanting anti-closure slogans. Most of those participating, including women tugging along young children, chose not to wear protective masks. They ended up at the “Old Glory” statue outside the Historic Chester County Courthouse, where a leader Ade impromptu remarks and the crowd soon dispersed.
Moskowitz said that, as a small business owner herself, she understands the frustration of people who want to return to normalcy.
But she said she believes county residents know what the dangers are of reopening the community too soon.
“I talk to businesspeople every day, asking them how they are doing and how they feel,” she said. “They are understandably unhappy, because they don’t have any income and they’re trying to stay afloat. But they are not saying, ‘Oh, I’ll open anyway.’ That is not what I am hearing. We are trying to do everything we can to move forward, and to be ready to open up when we get the signal.”
She pointed to polls showing the public support for mitigation efforts to stop the virus spread. “People are afraid. If you open up your business and people don’t come in, what good is that?”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.