COUDERSPORT — On Tuesday, the Potter County commissioners passed a declaration of disaster emergency regarding COVID-19.

The declaration directed the Potter County emergency management director to coordinate the activities of emergency response, mitigation and recovery to “take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this emergency.”

For the purpose of meeting the exigencies of the pandemic, the measure allows for the potential expenditure of funds to rent equipment, purchase supplies and materials, hire temporary workers or to enter into contracts for the performance of public work “all without regard to those time consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements expected.”