Montco officials give update on preparedness

NORRISTOWN » With outbreaks of the coronavirus spiking worldwide, Montgomery County officials have implemented several protocols in place to combat the disease locally. No cases have been confirmed in Pennsylvania or Montgomery County, according to health officials.

Michel Masters, director of communicable diseases for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Public Health, and Todd Stieritz, public affairs coordinator for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, provided an update during the county commissioners meeting Thursday morning.

“We are preparing for cases, but we want to know how to protect ourselves,” Masters said. Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan City, China. It has since spread with cases reported in more than 50 countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Masters said the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Public Health are taking point at the respective national and state levels.

Masters noted the commonwealth has started conducted testing through its state lab. A vaccine for the strain of coronavirus is not yet available, citing reports from the CDC that it could take up to 18 months before a virus could be ready for public consumption. COVID-19 is transmitted through “close contact,” according to Masters, who said the incubation period lasts between two and 14 days. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of