Killion hosts 4,200 participants in tele-town hall
BROOKHAVEN » State Sen. Tom Killion and more than 4,000 of his constituents focused on the coronavirus pandemic during a teletown hall meeting Thursday afternoon.
Killion, R-9 of Middletown, hosted six experts or “boots on the ground,” who answered questions from constituents concerning the pandemic that has sicked thousands and killed more than two dozen in Chester and Delaware counties.
Four thousand two hundred participants listened in, and about two dozen callers asked questions, during Thursday afternoon’s tele-town hall.
The panel included Dr. Lawrence Livornese, chairman of the Department of Medicine at Main Line Health System and a boardcertified specialist in infectious diseases; Chester County Health Director
Jeanne Casner; and Tim Boyce, Delaware County director of emergency services.
Eric R. Kratz, executive director of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee and an expert on unemployment compensation; Kim Bowman, director of Human Services for Chester County; and Shannon Thomas, emergency services coordinator for Human Services in Delaware County; also answered questions.
Killion said he wants to educate people since there is a lack of knowledge for many.
“People are nervous right now,” Killion said. “We’re trying to help people get their questions answered.”
Bowman said she wants to get the word out.
“Most people are interested in doing the right thing,” she said.
A caller asked why Chester County numbers of those who have contracted COVID-19 and associated deaths are significantly lower than the surrounding counties.
“It’s unclear,” Casner said. “There are so many nuances and unknowns.”
The health director said that Chester County has spent a lot of time educating stakeholder organizations such as prisons, large employers and long-term care centers.
The Chester County Health Department recently started overseeing coronavirus strategies in Delaware County, which does not have its own health department. Killion represents portions of both Chester and Delaware counties.
“Delaware County has a different make-up and demographics,” Casner said.
She also said that Chester County started addressing the virus on Jan. 15, prior to a case being diagnosed in the county.
“We can’t pinpoint it,” she said. “It’s something we will have to look back to, what could have made the difference.”
Caller Edward of Thornbury noted that some people, while visiting parks, are not following the governor’s mandates on social distancing, keeping 6 feet between themselves and others.
“What can we do to stop people from doing things not prescribed?” Edward asked.
Boyce said that non-compliance is a common problem, with education a major priority.
Boyce recommended notifying community representatives, to call 911 or to notify police.
“Let the local authorities deal with it,” he said. “Don’t take matters into your own hands.”
Caller Melissa asked if shutting down a testing site in Montgomery County had any negative implications.
Livornese said that tests performed outside hospitals “take the pressure off” emergency rooms.
For those with mild symptoms, he said, heading to the emergency room takes up space and creates a risk that someone might contract the virus.
The physician also noted that a positive test for someone asymptomatic does not translate to symptoms appearing “down the road.”
He also said that he does not recommend that asymptomatic patients be tested since there is a limited number of tests.
Livornese discussed what
Killion said is a matter of education for grocery store and pharmacy staffers.
He talked about how businesses can allow only a certain amount of customers inside at a time, display signage to communicate that policy, and post someone at the door in additional to having people serpentine throughout the aisles.
Kratz told the audience that the maximum unemployment award is based on income and runs $560 per month. An additional $600 per week will be tacked on. He also said that unemployment benefit income is taxable.
Livornese was asked how many people who have been infected with the coronavirus have recovered.
Main Line Health System runs four hospitals and two testing sites.
Six thousand at Main Line Health have been tested; 1,000 tested positive. About 1,000 have been admitted to Main Line Health hospitals, with 790 sent home.
The doctor said that 80 percent of those testing positive do not require a hospital stay, 15 percent need to be hospitalized, 5 percent must enter an intensive care unit and 2 to 3 percent die.
He also said that those numbers will change as health professionals learn more about the COVID-19 disease that results from the novel coronavirus.
Killion was asked when some of the restrictions might be lifted. The senator said that it is up to the governor and it is still too early to tell.
“We want to get a little further into it before these decisions are made,” Killion said. “We have to do the best we can with the resources we have.”