Last night, Northampton County Council voted unanimously to approve Executive Lamont McClure's emergency declaration concerning the Covid-19 virus. This gives him the authority to move employees to Gracedale if needed and seek more surgical masks and gown. "A wave is coming for us," he said with respect to the pandemic that has claimed one life in the County.
McClure said the County is low on personal protective equipment for first responders, and EMC Director Todd Weaver is scrambling to get supplies from CDC from the national strategic stockpile. At Gracedale, McClure said the County would exhaust its supply in a week if residents become ill.
The Exec added that "it's only a matter of time before we have positives at Gracedale." Twelve beds will be available for isolation on Friday, with another 12 to be available very soon. If necessary, Gracedale can have as many as 48 isolation units.
According to Nursing Director Dawn Marie TuersFeldman, temperatures are taken of every employee when the nursing home is entered. Vital signs of each resident are taken daily, and temperatures are taken twice a day.
He indicated that much of the county staff is working from home, including nearly 200 employees at Human Services. If employees get ill at Gracedale, it might be necessary to require employees in other departments to assume those roles. "If someone needs to be fed at Gracedale, they're going," said McClure of other county employees.
McClure said he had a plan that was working until Wednesday, when other counties began sending people to the courthouse for passports and marriage license. He responded by closing the courthouse to outside visitors on Thursday. "I needed to pump the brakes," he said.
He vowed to re-open the courthouse as soon as he can, but people who visit might be restricted to county residents. They might also have their temperatures checked.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Friday, March 20, 2020
29 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
I watched the meeting. The President said the public should avoid their meeting. Really?
ReplyDeleteWho"s gonna take the publics temp? Mclueless will probably tell the sheriffs, but they don't have any kind of training for that.
ReplyDeleteThe public’s temperatures ARE rising. Now that the Governor enacted draconian, authoritarian, Nazi-like restrictions. An appliance store just notified us delivery of our refrigerator will not happen. A pre-paid contract for a necessary FOOD STORAGE device will be held back.
ReplyDeleteIf a state legislator is reading this, please work over the restrictions here so that restrictions on deliveries of contracted items involving FOOD STORAGE are delayed long enough to complete agreed upon and firm transactions.
STOP THIS CRAZINESS by the Governor!
I'm finished, just tell me when trump is dead!
ReplyDeleteIn reference to March 20, 2020 at 9:56 AM
ReplyDeleteCommon sense is going out the window. What about a broken down vehicle along a highway. Are tow operators and repair garages down? What about emergency plumbing? Can you buy a microwave oven if it broke before you could cook some of your stocked up food supplies? Can someone get their much needed washer or dryer repaired if it should fail? Leaky roof repairs?
I have so many more, but you get the idea. Much of this might be doing more harm then good.
The flu is real! Free market capitalism is the hoax.
ReplyDeleteHopefully now people will begin to understand the order of things. Now shut-up and do as you're told.
Lott said the extension of the emergency declaration giving McClure wide flexibility with existing labor contract was tough to swallow, but necessary. Is it really tough to swallow? Or is it easy to swallow when you're trying to help your community? FOH Lott.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe public’s temperatures ARE rising. Now that the Governor enacted draconian, authoritarian, Nazi-like restrictions.
[snip]
STOP THIS CRAZINESS by the Governor!
March 20, 2020 at 9:56 AM
Governors have to make hard choices. Deal with it. If he has erred on the side of being overprotective, which is a matter of judgment, that sure beats what Pres. Nitwit is doing.
LVCI said...
ReplyDeleteIn reference to March 20, 2020 at 9:56 AM
Common sense is going out the window. What about a broken down vehicle along a highway. Are tow operators and repair garages down? What about emergency plumbing? Can you buy a microwave oven if it broke before you could cook some of your stocked up food supplies? Can someone get their much needed washer or dryer repaired if it should fail? Leaky roof repairs?
I have so many more, but you get the idea. Much of this might be doing more harm then good.
March 20, 2020 at 11:15 AM
Rules are hard to write well. There's always a tension between simplicity and making exceptions. A big part of it is the discretion of the enforcer.
Let's do recall: IT'S A FRIGGIN' EPIDEMIC!
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Delete"Deal with it"
ReplyDeleteIf my well pump goes out or my frig breaks I'm coming over to share your water and food. Deal with it.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"Deal with it"
If my well pump goes out or my frig breaks I'm coming over to share your water and food. Deal with it.
March 20, 2020 at 12:54 PM
Not with that attitude, you're not.
Soon the attitude of if the govment not givin me my wants, I will just go out andt it! This is the dependent class thought process that will soon be starting to take place in America.
ReplyDeleteDo some of you bother to read the list of businesses that aren't affected. The link was provided. Stop fucking asking about your car repair and other services expecting to be spoon fed answers. Read the list.
ReplyDeleteGOGGLE IT
DeleteAny news about the safety precautions for the prison guards?
ReplyDeleteMarch 20, 2020 at 1:39 PM Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDo some of you bother to read the list of businesses that aren't affected. The link was provided.
Indeed I stand corrected on some of these I mentioned. However not all that come to mind I haven't.
I see that many corporations are lining up at the trough in the Senate. Where are all those GOP critics of "pork barrel" now?
ReplyDeleteI'm being abused by the president of the unites states, can I get a pfa from him as president?
ReplyDeleteA reporter ask's a question and is then bullied from the pulpit? Fucking asshole...
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DeleteThis is not the place for your partisan rants, please.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the individuals that are give drugs before meals and sleep while the food gets cold? Appears to be a problem not addressed
ReplyDeleteWhile you mention it: are you on YOUR meds?
ReplyDeleteI assume you refer to Gracedale residents. This problem, if it exists, has nothing to do with Covid-19. This post is focused on preparations for worst case scenarios, not the problem of feeding residents who must also be given medications. You can email me concerning specific problems at Gracedale at bohare5948@aol.com. You can also bring something like this to the attention of supervisors. I think they would want the residents to eat first.
ReplyDeleteWith McClure and Dertinger taking over the county, what do we have to fear except that.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else watch the tape of the meeting and hear Amy Cozze joke that her department hasn't been social distancing which I guess means they aren't even respecting the 6 feet apart rule? Way to place confidence for the rest of the employees who have to work in the same building.
ReplyDeleteWhile you mention it: are you on YOUR meds? How about you when you become dependent on someone else who looks at you as just warehousing till you die. No you need meds or compassion for the elderly. Could you be the nurse who said "None of your business, your not the POA"
ReplyDeleteFDR had a famous ghost writer and in 1938, FDR needed a scare to frighten the public conscientiousness to refocus the Zeitgeist towards foreign enemies.
ReplyDeleteOrson Welles came through with his radio play, War of the Worlds, and it was enough to capture the headlines and changed the mood in the country towards that goal.
The formula works and has been used many times, Covid-19 with Hanks and the MSN are following this tradition.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin," the broadcast began. "Martians have landed in New Jersey!"
ReplyDelete"A wave is coming for us."