Montgomery County extended its COVID-19 emergency declaration by another 60 days after testing showed an increased case rate.
The chairman of the board of commissioners, Valerie Arkoosh, a doctor, said on Thursday that 8.1% of county residents gave positive results in the 14 days ended April 8, up from 7.1% for the two weeks ended in April 1 April.
“As our number of cases increases, so do our hospitalizations,” Arkoosh said. As of Wednesday, there were at least 213 county residents in hospitals with COVID-19, up from 206 a week earlier.
Arkoosh said Thursday at a virtual meeting of commissioners that residents must continue to wear masks and maintain social distance to try to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
She said the county had “discontinued” the use of the Johnson & Johnson single-injection vaccine until they received additional guidance from the federal government. Montgomery will continue to administer the inoculation of Pfizer Inc.
Arkoosh and fellow Democrat Kenneth Lawrence Jr. then voted to extend the county’s COVID-19 emergency declaration for 60 days. Republican Joseph Gale voted no. Gale opposed pandemic restrictions on business and schools. He did not comment on his vote on Wednesday.
Prior to the vote, Lawrence asked County Attorney Josh Stein to confirm that the declaration of urgency only applies to county government operations and reimbursement of pandemic costs from the state and federal government.
The statement “has nothing to do with closing businesses or opening schools or any COVID restrictions,” Lawrence said.
“It’s absolutely right,” Stein said.
Arkoosh noted that COVID fatigue could strike some residents as the pandemic spreads in its 58th week. In a statement on Wednesday, she said that temperaments had exploded in some places in the vaccination counties.
“It is never acceptable to shout, report or harass the clinic staff,” she said.
Commissioners also reviewed appointments to the board of the community college in Montgomery County on Thursday. Gale opposed the re-appointment of Marcel Groen, who served as leader of the Democratic parties in Pennsylvania and the county.
Gale said he opposes the political appointments of people on either side to advisory boards. Arkoosh and Lawrence prevailed in a 2-1 vote.
Arkoosh is running for Democratic mayor of the US Senate. Gale is running for governor on the Republican side, and his brother Sean is running for mayor of the Republican Senate.
The next meeting of the council will be on April 19 at 10 am. It will take place virtually and will be broadcast on Facebook. Meeting records are posted on the county’s YouTube website.