Donora extends state of emergency

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Donora council met for less than 10 minutes Thursday to pass a resolution extending the borough’s coronavirus-related state of emergency declaration.

No members of the public showed up, so attendance was kept to 10 people, per the Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Borough officials are discussing how to handle next week’s regularly scheduled workshop meeting.

Councilwoman Jane Ackerman called in to participate in the vote by phone. Councilman Donnie Pavelko was absent. All other council members were present — but remained several feet apart — and the vote to extend the emergency order was passed unanimously.

The order will stay in place until Gov. Tom Wolf lifts his requirements regarding non-essential business closures and stay-at-home orders or until Mayor Jim McDonough takes further action, Solicitor Steve Toprani said.

“This plan was set up weeks ago and was put in motion with the idea that it’s among us,” McDonough said after the meeting. “We need to assume that it is here now and as testing goes on it will show that it’s here.” 

His concern is that people throughout the Valley will begin to spread rumors that someone on one street or another has the virus and begin to panic about who has it.

“This is why we put things in place weeks ago,” McDonough said. “We are here now, people are getting sick now, but they’ve been sick for days. I’m afraid of people saying that they want to know who it is and where they live.”

Some of those measures the borough has adopted include social distancing, closing borough parks and enforcing a 10 p.m. curfew.

“This is what we should have been doing from the start,” McDonough said. “I do not want to start the rumor mill of who has it. We should assume that people have it here. Assume that on your street, it’s probably already there. 

“We have to stay inside, we have to bide our time to allow health care workers time to get ahead of it.”

He said people in all branches of the government have gotten it.

“These people, whoever they may be, have done nothing more than get a virus the world has gotten,” McDonough said. “Chances are it’s everywhere already, so we treat it openly, not on a case-by-case basis.”

He wants the community to know the decisions being made are in the best interests of residents and that the mayor and council stand united in making them.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with any other council than the one I have now,” McDonough said.

The mayor said residents can contact him directly at 724-322-6510 with any questions or concerns.

See the video from last night’s meeting at www.monvalleyindependent.com.