Local government officials are vital to the safety and well-being of the general public in both good times and bad. As the coronavirus pandemic progresses, they are essential for keeping the public informed and to give them a sense of direction and security.
The Era recently reached out to several local officials regarding the pandemic and one common theme amongst them all was encouraging the public to continue to practice social distancing and other recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
“I urge all residents to continue to follow all of the directives that have been put into place to ensure that the COVID-19 virus becomes a point in history rather than a fear that we live with daily,” said Bradford Mayor James McDonald. “The more that people self-isolate and limit going out into the public, the shorter the lifespan of the pandemic will be.”
McKean County Commissioner Thomas Kreiner also emphasized the importance of people staying home when able to do so.
“It’s for their own benefit, their family’s benefit and their friends’ benefit,” he added.
Despite the tumultuous times, Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp said she’s proud of how citizens have responded to the pandemic and is thankful for those making sacrifices for the wellbeing of the community.
“Although it’s a challenging time for everyone, our community has rallied around one another and offered help and support when possible,” she said. “If social media is any indication, there are much more heartwarming and touching stories going around the community than there are negative, and I think that’s a true testament to the people who live here.”
McDonald shared similar sentiments about how grateful he is to have such a supportive community.
“I also would like to thank the countless individuals of our community that have helped by donating food to those who need it, by going to the store for their elderly neighbors and by just generally being the kind of people that most cities would dream of having as residents,” he said.
In the midst of conflicting information on social media and just an overall sense of uncertainty, many residents have reached out to local officials for guidance on a wide variety of topics regarding the pandemic.
“There were a few days where people were asking me questions about which businesses should be open, which businesses should be closed, and things like that, but those questions were ones that I anticipated hearing,” explained McDonald. “There were other questions that maybe stemmed from rumors, fears or perhaps what other states were doing regarding the closure of the New York/Pennsylvania border, the National Guard rolling in to town and enforcing a nightly curfew and other similar questions.”
Smethport Mayor Wayne Foltz said he’s mainly received questions regarding which businesses should be shut down, while Kreiner has received questions regarding symptoms; he’s directed them to contact their local hospital and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
In order to keep people up-to-date, many officials have taken to social media to update the public. For example, Schimp has been issuing daily updates on her “Brandy Schimp, Kane Mayor” Facebook page to keep the community informed, encourage compliance with CDC and PA Department of Health recommendations and boost morale. Browsing the page, one will find a variety of heartwarming stories and updates on what is happening in the community.
“I try to issue only one piece daily, typically in the evening so that citizens have one source for local updates,” she noted.
In addition, McDonald regularly posts updates on his Facebook page “James A. McDonald, Mayor of Bradford, PA,” while Foltz provides updates on his page “Mayor Wayne V. Foltz.”
As an additional way to stay informed about the pandemic, McDonald encourages everyone to catch the daily briefings from the White House.
“Whether you like the president or not, he and the medical professionals that he is working with do a great job putting out facts over fear,” he said.
It’s also important to note that the function of many public buildings has been limited due to the emergence of the coronavirus, such as the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport.
“The courthouse is still locked down to the general public,” said Kreiner. “People have to call the department they need to get into and make an appointment ahead of time.”
The courthouse is currently operating on minimal staff, with some working from home, though he noted the McKean County Commissioners continue to monitor daily press releases, while the chief clerk is making sure food is available for the needy.
“We’re staying on top of business loans that are available because of the effect of the pandemic,” Kreiner stated. “There are a lot of areas that we continue to monitor.”
Foltz also noted he recently extended the emergency declaration for Smethport because it was about to expire.
“We extended that for 30 days and are going to continue monitoring the situation,” he explained. “I’m really hoping our businesses can make it through these tough times. The government has made loans available to help people out.”
