DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Monday, March 16, 2020
WHEREAS, a novel coronavirus (now known as “COVID-19”) emerged in Wuhan, China, began infecting humans; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) have declared COVID-19 a “public health emergency of international concern,” and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary has declared that COVID-19 creates a public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (“Commonwealth”) 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, on February 1, 2020, the Commonwealth’s Department of Health activated its Department Operations Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters to conduct public health and medical coordination for COVID-19 throughout the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, the Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency ordered the activation of its Commonwealth Response Coordination Center in support of the Department of Health’s Department Operations Center, to maintain situational awareness and coordinate the response to any potential COVID-19 impacts across the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, as of March 16, 2020, there are 3774 confirmed and/or presumed positive cases of COVID-19 in the United States, including 63 positive cases in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, while it is anticipated that a high percentage of those affected by COVID-19 will experience mild influenza-like symptoms, COVID-19 is a disease capable of causing severe symptoms or loss of life, particularly to older populations and those individuals with pre-existing conditions; and
WHEREAS, it is critical to prepare for and respond to suspected or confirmed cases in the Commonwealth and to implement measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, with 63 presumed positive cases in the Commonwealth as of March 16, 2020, the possible increased threat from COVID-19 constitutes a threat of imminent disaster to the health of the citizens of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, this threat of imminent disaster and emergency has the potential to cause significant adverse impacts upon the population throughout the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, this threat of imminent disaster and emergency has already caused schools to close, and will likely prompt additional local measures, including affected county and municipal governments to declare local disaster emergencies because of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, this threat of imminent disaster and emergency situation throughout the Commonwealth is of such magnitude and severity as to render essential the Commonwealth’s supplementation of emergency resources and mutual aid to the county and municipal governments of this Commonwealth and to require the activation of all applicable state, county, and municipal emergency response plans; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 virus threatens to cause injury, damage, and suffering to the citizens of Gettysburg Borough, Adams County; Pennsylvania, and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 virus has the potential to endanger the health, safety, and welfare of a substantial number of persons residing in the Borough, and threatens to create challenges greater in scope that Gettysburg Borough may be able to resolve through traditional measures; 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 and the community at large in the Borough.
NOW THEREFORE, I Theodore Streeter, Gettysburg Borough Mayor, declare, and hereby join the undersigned Borough Council Members of the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7501 of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code, (35 PA C.S., Section 7501), as amended, proclaim the existence of a disaster emergency in the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:
FURTHER, We direct the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Coordinator to coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster, to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this emergency.
FURTHER. We authorize officials of the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to act as necessary to meet the current demands of this emergency, namely: by the employment of temporary workers, by the rental of equipment, by the purchase of supplies and materials, and by entering into such contracts and agreements for the performance of public work as may be required to meet the emergency, all without regard to those time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements excepted,
STILL FURTHER, We hereby suspend the provisions of any regulatory ordinance including, but not limited to, Chapters one (1), eleven (11) and seventeen (17) of the Gettysburg Borough Code of Ordinances prescribing procedures for the conduct of municipal business, or the orders, rules, and regulations of any municipal department, if strict compliance therewith would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this emergency.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, this Declaration shall take effect immediately and shall be continued until April 27, 2020 unless rescinded earlier by me, with the consent of the Borough Council.
By SEAL of GETTYSBURG BOROUGH, ADAMS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, as authorized this 16th day of March 2020.