County announces two new COVID testing sites
With COVID case counts in Chester County at record highs, the county’s Health Department is moving to add testing sites, while asking residents to report positive “at home” test results. They also remind everyone that vaccinations and booster shots remain available for free from the Health Department.
Officials with the Chester County Health Department (CCHD) announced the latest...
Coroner: Chesco seeing ‘sharp rise’ in COVID deaths
As the saying goes, folks in Chester County may be done with COVID, but COVID and especially the new Omicron variant are not done with Chester County: the county’s Coroner says that deaths are increasing from the virus this month — a majority coming from those who have not been vaccinated.
Dr. Christina VandePol, Chester County Coroner, issued a statement Tuesday outlining the spike in deaths...
This is the week that was…weird, but not in a fun way
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Well, it’s been a week.
Between the sheer joy of dealing with hackers who briefly locked me out of these sites (thankfully, I was able to quickly recover things and build a digital moat around the server — which hopefully will defend it better) the emergence of a new COVID variant and Dr. Memet Oz declaring his candidacy for U.S. Senate, it’s been...
County Health gearing for COVID vaccinations for ages 5-11
The Chester County Health Department is gearing up to deliver Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 5-11 now that the Centers for Disease Control has issued final recommendations.
The vaccine dose for the younger children is one-third of that given to anyone age 12 and over and the vaccine is administered in a series of two shots, 21 days apart. The vaccine is being delivered in new vials,...
CCEDC announces release of survey on COVID-19 on local businesses
Despite significant concerns about revenue and labor shortages, 75% of surveyed Chester County businesses say they plan to return to pre-COVID operations and 77% report no change in the size of their physical workspace and facilities.
That’s according to a survey conducted by the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) in partnership with Restore Chester County. Twenty-four survey questions...
Rabid GOP now feeding on their own
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
If they held a local competition for “off the rails” in politics, Chester County Republican Chair Gordon Eck would win by a landslide.
His — I won’t dignify it by calling it an Op/Ed — recently published screed attacking a fellow Republican and local Board of Education president over the fake issue of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in our county’s...
Ignore the anti maskers — masks are the best way to keep kids safe in school
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
All around the county local school boards have had to wrestle with the topic of requiring masks for students and staff.
Honestly, with the Delta variant of COVID-19, it really shouldn’t have been a tough decision.
Enter willfully misinformed (or just flat out lying) residents making any number of false claims about masks: they cut oxygen (they don’t...
DCCC to require vaccines in Jan. 22
Citing the increase in COVID-19 Delta variant cases in Delaware and Chester Counties, Delaware County Community College President Dr. L. Joy Gates Black announced today that the College will require proof of vaccination of all students, faculty and staff beginning next year.
During a virtual meeting this morning, Dr. Gates Black urged the College family to get the vaccine because it is “our best...
CDC to Chesco residents: time to wear masks in public, indoor settings again
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Vector color chalk drawn illustration of medical mask on black chalkboard background.
Well, it was nice while it lasted — it is time to break out the masks again, thanks to the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now recommending that all residents of Chester County...
As the Big Lie unravels, the PA GOP looks pretty bad
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
We might just be at a tipping point when it comes to The Big Lie.
Never mind the facts that Donald Trump lost the national race by somewhere around seven million votes and lost a solid margin in the Electoral College. And forget for a second, that Trump lost Pennsylvania to Joe Biden by about 80,000 votes in an election that has had multiple checks and...
