BEAVER This year, it s fluid, resilience and resourcefulness.
That s how Commissioners Dan Camp and Jack Manning described Beaver County during the past 12 months during the State of The County Breakfast, hosted Tuesday morning by the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce. Hosted virtually this year, the annual breakfast gives the Beaver County commissioners a chance to update business leaders on how the county is running each February. This year, Commissioner Tony Amadio skipped the event, citing the health issues that have kept him mostly out of the public eye the past several months.
Camp and Manning opened by sharing the word or in Manning s case words they felt best summed up the past year. Officials said they have dealt with quite a few unexpected challenges, mostly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One day shy of 10 months after Beaver County reported its first case of COVID-19, the 10,000th case of the novel coronavirus was reported.
The number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed in the county since December first, with the tally of residents who tested positive doubling between Dec. 1 and Jan. 1. Unfortunately, the commonwealth saw large increases in COVID-19 cases during that time and in counties like (Beaver), said Maggi Barton, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The increase represents a result of community spread. We know COVID-19 is a dangerous and contagious disease that has affected thousands across the commonwealth.
Officials from Heritage Valley Health System plan to meet with Beaver County’s leaders this week about potential vaccine distribution.
The county commissioners and Heritage Valley officials hope to develop a plan where the Beaver County Emergency Management Agency can help with the rollout of as many as 140,000 vaccinations.
The health system has received 3,950 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine and has administered at least one dose of the vaccine to 2,600 frontline healthcare workers as part of Phase 1A of the state’s vaccine plan. Of those, 680 workers have received the second dose of the vaccine, said Suzanne Sakson, spokeswoman for the health system.
Beaver County s leaders called Wednesday s violent insurrection embarrassing and disheartening.
Republican Commissioner Jack Manning took to Twitter late Wednesday to denounce the violence that broke out when protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol to interfere with the certification of presidential election results. Manning, who has run previously as an Independent in county politics, said he was embarrassed by the behavior exhibited.
He doubled down on those feelings Thursday afternoon. I m beyond saddened and appalled by the desecration that was happening in the People s house that was urged on, I believe, by a delusional and duplicitous president. It demands accountability. People need to be held accountable, Manning said. Eventually you become lost for words. It s saddening and I felt I had to publicly speak out.