The Home Page Network

Today on The Home Page Network, we have a Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force update with Jim Nobles, Tioga County Commissioner – Roger Bunn, and Executive Director of Develop Tioga – Kristin Hamilton.

Jim Nobles, Task Force Spokesperson / President, and CEO of Laurel Health Centers:

As the COVID-19 positive cases continue to rise throughout Pennsylvania. Here in Tioga County, we are doing a great job of keeping our cases under control.

On Wednesday, April 15, Governor Wolf and Health Secretary Levine signed an order, protecting essential workers that are employed at businesses authorized to maintain in-person operations during the COVID-19 emergency. This order is aimed at providing protection for the workers needed to operate life-sustaining businesses and will ensure consistency across all life-sustaining businesses to further our efforts to protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvania’s. Here in Tioga County, the task force has fielded many questions regarding the Governor’s order, and masking requirements for essential workers, as well as consumers frequenting those establishments.

The task force has partnered with the Tioga County Partnership for Community Health to assist residents with questions regarding the masking requirement.

Tioga County Commissioner Roger Bunn:

As a member of the Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force, the Tioga County Partnership for Community Health is acting as a single point of contact for issues, such as the one we are addressing today – MASKING. In response to the Governor’s order for business employees to wear masks, along with all the customers. The partnership has taken on the task of being the single point of contact for information for community volunteers and the public at large. If you are a member of a volunteer group and need masks, please call the partnership at 570-787-5000, and they will see that your need is met.

We want to offer a special thank you to all the volunteers who have been so faithful in protecting those at a high risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. If you are a Tioga County resident and have been unable to obtain a mask, you can also contact the partnership at 570-787-5000, and they will connect you with a resource in your local area to obtain one. I will remind everyone that the Governor’s order requires that all customers entering a place of business must wear a mask.

The Tioga County Board of Commissioners wants to once again thank each and every individual and organization that has contributed to the task force. Combating this virus must be a team effort. THANK YOU again.

Jim Nobles, Task Force Spokesperson:

What a great partnering opportunity for the Tioga County Partnership to work closely with all our residents, so they have a single source of information and a single point to get all their masking questions answered.

But it’s not just residents they’re asking questions, but taskforce is also getting a lot of questions from local businesses regarding the Governor’s New Order.

Kristin Hamilton, the Executive Director of Develop Tioga:

For businesses, the masking is a requirement. It’s part of the worker safety requirements. We are working with all of the businesses to make sure that they have the information on the requirements, and they are actively working across the county to make sure that they have the mass they need. If there’s any businesses or employers out there that are having trouble with that, we ask them to please contact Develop Tioga. Our number is 570-723-8232, and we will work with you to try to connect you with resources.

Over the last 24 hours, we’ve been able to reach out to different vendors that do still have supplies of masks and make those connections. We also have some vendors that are willing to make handmade fabric masks.

So, as we work through this, thank you to all of our businesses and employers for their efforts. If you need any help with either the order requirements or obtaining mass, please reach out to Develop Tioga at 570-723-8232. And again, thank you to everybody who’s working together through this.

Jim Nobles, Task Force Spokesperson:

Businesses are also asking what to do with the new temperature taking requirement that the Governor has also asked for essential employees. Is that something that businesses can contact you about as well.

Kristin Hamilton, the Executive Director of Develop Tioga:

Most definitely and yes we did receive that email we reached out to that business and we were able to connect them with thermometers so if there are questions on any of the requirements for the businesses that are tied into the new orders for worker safety, please reach out, we’ll try to get answers to your questions and connect you to the equipment and tools you need. Thank you.

Jim Nobles, Task Force Spokesperson:

Thank you, Kristin – Commissioner Bunn, Kristin, thank you both so much for all the information you provided today. For more information or specifics on the Governor’s New Order, be sure to visit the Tioga County COVID-19 Facebook page for the most up to date information.

The task force continues to urge everyone to please do their part. Community means everyone. And here in Tioga County, the community is definitely pulling together during this crisis. Please continue to stay at home, unless you need to leave for life-sustaining reasons. If you must go out, wear a mask over your mouth and nose. We’re all in this together, and we will defeat this virus together, but everybody needs to do their part. Stay home. Stay masked if you must go out, stay healthy, and wash your hands.