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...
Mushroom Festival cancelled for 2020 due to pandemic
KENNETT SQUARE — For the first time in its history, the annual Kennett Square Mushroom Festival — scheduled this year for Sept. 12-13, 2020 — will be canceled, due to increasing safety concerns expressed by its Board of Directors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board’s decision to cancel this year’s festival dovetails with the nearly global cancellation of nearly all large-scale,...
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 1,245...
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 deaths,...
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 lead...
COVID-19 Update, April 14: Cases level off; Wolf offers thanks to Pa. residents
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The April 14 map of COVID-19 infections in Chester County. Courtesy, Chester County Health.
The positive trends in COVID-19 cases is continuing statewide and here in Chester County, although caseloads and fatalities continue to be at high numbers — as state officials caution this is not the time to end or relax social distancing, the battle against the virus is far...
COVID-19 Update, April 13: Mid-Atlantic states to work together to plan ‘reopening’
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Better numbers and a process to create a plan to reopen the region, Monday, may be the first signs that the tide is turning in the battle against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
New case and fatality numbers in Pennsylvania and Chester County fell Sunday, as the governors of a number of Mid-Atlantic states announced process to jointly create a plan to slowly reopen society...
COVID-19 Update, April 10: Cases, deaths spike again in Pa., Chester County
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Some parts of the country may be seeing an apex in COVID-19 cases, it appears both Pennsylvania and Chester County are not there yet, as both new cases and deaths spiked again on Thursday.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) said there were 1,751 new cases reported, bringing the state’s total to 19,979; deaths also increased to 78, boosting the statewide...
COVID-19 Update, April 9: Wolf moves to close schools for remainder of the year
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Gov. Tom Wolf moved Thursday to end all in person school instruction for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, as the state added nearly 2,000 new positive COVID-19 cases, although the number of deaths dropped to 29 on Wednesday after having been in the 70s the previous two days.
Wolf announced the extension of the schools closure, noting he made the decision in...
