Today, Centre County Administrator Margaret Gray and Centre County Court Administrator Kendra Miknis wrote to elected officials and department heads with an update on the Governor and Secretary of Health's call for universal masking.
Dear Elected Officials and Department Heads,
We are writing on behalf of the Board of Commissioners and the President Judge in response to the Governor’s call for universal masking.
As you may be aware, on Friday Governor Wolf asked that all Pennsylvanians wear a cloth mask any time they leave their houses for life-sustaining reasons. Linked here is a copy of the full press release. In accordance with this direction, we are asking all employees who enter County buildings to follow this guidance and to wear a cloth mask starting tomorrow, Monday, April 6th.
The County has ordered a large quantity of cloth masks for use by our employees and the public who must enter County facilities; however, delivery is not anticipated until later in the week. In the meantime you will need to secure your own cloth mask. Guidance on universal masking is available here including directions about making a mask. There are also many social media sites which provide instructions that do not involve any sewing. As we move to this guidance of masking for all, the Governor and Secretary of Health urge everyone to reserve N-95 and paper masks for healthcare workers and recommend the use of a cloth or homemade masks for everyday use.
You will need to share this information with your staff. Many of our employees are working remotely, but as you are approving time for anyone to be physically in the office, please communicate this guidance to them. Once we have received the shipment of cloth masks, no one from the public will be allowed to enter County buildings without a mask.
Today’s update from the PA Department of Health indicates 43 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Centre County. Last Sunday the statewide count of positive cases was 3,394 – in one week the number has grown to 11,510. Anything and everything we can do to mitigate the spread of this highly contagious virus is well worth the effort.
Many thanks to all for your support and cooperation as we continue to navigate this changing landscape. Please feel free to contact either of us with any questions or concerns.
Margaret and Kendra