Chesco Declares Emergency, Longwood Gardens Donates Freezer

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County's Board of Commissioners this week approved a resolution authorizing a Declaration of Disaster Emergency due to COVID-19 and also reported that Longwood Gardens has assisted in the pandemic response with a special freezer to store the vaccine supply.

In the commissioners' State of the County address at the beginning of the month, Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell explained that to help with the county's ongoing response to COVID-19 Longwood Gardens gave the county an ultra-cold freezer to use for vaccine storage as needed.

"We are already planning to process of how to vaccinate everyone quickly," said Maxwell, thanking Longwood Gardens for its generous donation.

Patricia Evans, communications director for Longwood Gardens, said, "We donated an ultra-cold freezer to the Chester County Health Department that is now at the government services building on Westtown Road."

Evans said the freezer has been in the county's possession since Nov. 2.

The Chester County Commissioners approved a Declaration of Disaster Emergency, effective from Dec. 1, for 90 days.

The Declaration is pursuant to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code and is "in response to the significant, increased health, emergency and safety concerns presented by the coronavirus," county officials said.

By approving and signing the Declaration of Disaster Emergency, the Commissioners are taking proactive steps in emergency management to mitigate and reduce the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, should it become necessary.

The resolution authorizes the Chester County Department of Emergency Services, under the leadership of Director Mike Murphy, to activate any response and recovery measures, and coordinate emergency response activities.

The Commissioners enacted a similar emergency disaster declaration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, which remained in effect until June 23 this year.