COVID-19 Update, April 28: Wolf moves to reopen outdoor recreation facilities
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mmcgannpa
Gov. Tom Wolf is slowly easing restriction prompted by the COVID-19 pendemic, announcing Monday a limited reopening of outdoor recreational activities including golf, marinas, guided fishing trips and privately owned camp grounds, as the latest new case numbers ticked up slightly.
As of May 1, the recreational facilities may reopen, but are required...
COVID-19 Update, April 27: Cases trend down again; Wolf calls for racial, ethnic testing data
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
After a spike last week, COVID-19 cases in the state and locally appear again to be trending downward.
The state Department of Health (DOH) reported 885 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total of COVID-19 cases to 42,050. That represents a third straight day of falling numbers in the state, after a sudden spike midweek. Although the numbers appear...
Disease of the week? COVID? Nah. Political stupidity.
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Maybe it is everyone is tired of being shut in, maybe it is just that time of year.
But there seems to be a lot of stupid going around right now — not limited to one party (mostly, true, but not entirely).
The broadest expression of stupid are those still claiming COVID-19 is some sort of hoax, or just another flu. Since last week’s column, more...
COVID-19 Update, April 23: Wolf unveils plan for reopening as new case numbers stabilize
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a plan to start reopening the state in three phases — with some portions of the north-central and northwest portions of the state likely to see the first steps back toward an open economy as soon as May 8. Chester County — part of the southeast region of the plan — probably won’t meet the criteria at that point, but...
COVID-19 Update, April 22: Case numbers continue to slide; Wolf pushes for mail-in voting
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
The slow — but downward — slope of new COVID-19 cases continued Tuesday, as it appears that Pennsylvania and Chester County continued to show signs Tuesday of having passed the worst in the current pandemic.
Still, even with the good news, state Department of Health (DOH) officials caution that social distancing measures “bent the curve” and...
COVID-19 Update: Case numbers drop; Wolf relaxes some lockdown rules
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
The worst may — may — be over in Pennsylvania and Chester County’s battle against COVID-19.
New case numbers both statewide and locally appear to have at least plateaued, if not shown signs of slowing, prompting Gov. Tom Wolf to announce Monday the first small moves to relax the general shut down in the state.
The state’s Liquor Control Board...
COVID-19 Update, April 17: Wolf reveals reopen plan; Chesco Coroner says deaths 2X higher than previously revealed; new case numbers spike
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic might be coming under control were dampened as both Pennsylvania and Chester County reported higher infection numbers for the second straight day — and it appears the death toll in Chester County has been much higher than previously reported.
Still, Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a three-phase plan to eventually reopen the state.
Wolf...
COVID-19 Update, April 16: State, county numbers grow again, after stalling
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Amidst calls to start reopening the economy, there is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is not on the wane, as new numbers suggest growth statewide and, alarmingly, here in in Chester County.
A day after state officials signed an order mandating employee protections for the remaining businesses allowed open, the state saw a spike in COVID-19 cases, with...
COVID-19 Update, April 15: Pa. case numbers slide, as cases, deaths tick up in Chester Co.
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
As the state legislature debates a bill that would reopen some Pennsylvania businesses, statewide cases continued a slow slide, as fatalities continued to mount — and Chester County saw an uptick in both cases and deaths from COVID-19.
The sate Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,145 new positive cases — bringing the statewide total to 26,490 — and 63 new...
Chesco, Delco ask state for limits on Mariner East II pipeline work waivers
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The county governments of Chester and Delaware counties asked the state Monday to withdraw any waivers that would allow construction on the Mariner East II pipeline to continue during Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that all “non life-sustaining” business shutter during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering concerns that the company is ignoring health protocols and could...
