READ IN FULL: The Beaver County Declaration of Disaster Emergency

Editor’s Note: What follows is the declaration of disaster emergency as passed by the Beaver County Board of Commissioners on March 16, 2020.

DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY

WHEREAS, a novel coronavirus known as ‘COVID-19’ has been declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and

WHEREAS, the President of the United State of America has declared a National Emergency under the Stafford Act; and

WHEREAS, through a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, the Pennsylvania Department of Health declared COVID-19 a public health emergency; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been working in collaboration with the CDC, HHS, and local health agencies since December 2019 to monitor and plan for the containment and subsequent mitigation of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 has endangered the health, safety and welfare of a substantial number of persons residing in Beaver County, threatens to create problems greater in scope than Beaver County may be able to resolve; and

WHEREAS, emergency management measures are required to reduce the severity of this disaster and to protect the health, safety and welfare of affected residents in Beaver County;

NOW THEREFORE, we, the undersigned Commissioners of Beaver County, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7501 of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code, (35 PA C.S, Section 7501), as amended, do hereby proclaim that COVID-19 has created a disaster emergency in Beaver County.

FURTHER, the Beaver County Director of Emergency Services is directed to coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to work with state and federal authorities, to take all appropriate actions needed to alleviate the potential effects of this disaster, to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and to take other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to the COVID-19 emergency;

FURTHER, in light of the exigent circumstances, we temporarily suspend the time-consuming procedures and formalities prescribed by law (excepting mandatory constitutional requirements) pertaining to the performance of public works, entering into contracts, incurring obligations, the employment of temporary workers, the rental of equipment, the purchase of supplies and materials, and the levying of taxes and the appropriation.

STILL FURTHER, this Declaration shall be given prompt general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

See Also: Watch: Commissioners’ Press Conference Announcing Confirmed Coronavirus Case In Beaver County