Delta Variant In Chesco Topic Of Town Hall Phone-In On Friday

WEST CHESTER, PA — A Penn Medicine physician and Chester County's Health Department director will join U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6th) on Friday morning for a phone-in discussion of the COVID-19 Delta variant and its spread locally.

The town hall happens Friday at 9:30 a.m. Houlahan said she is holding it "in response to the uptick in calls our office has received about this more contagious and dangerous strain of COVID-19."

The most recent CDC data tracker places Chester County at the substantial level for COVID-19 transmission risk. All weekly COVID-19 metrics reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health were up in the last week, a trend over the past month.

The U.S. Representative put together a panel of local experts to answer constituents' questions. The panel will include Dr. Benjamin Abella, Penn Medicine Emergency Physician, and Jeanne Franklin, Chester County Health Department Public Health Director.

" We all look forward to sharing the most up-to-date information available, hearing about your family's concerns, and addressing your needs," Houlahan said.

"From the beginning, we've always maintained that science and facts must guide our path forward. While our community continues to lead not only the Commonwealth but also the nation in vaccinations, the rapid spread of the Delta variant through our population is cause for concern," Houlahan said in an announcement of the event this week.

Those interested may dial in to hear the discussion at (855) 731-4616.

On July 27 the CDC released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage and a recommendation for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated.

Read a recent report on COVID-19 metrics in Chester County here.

To read the CDC's latest guidance on the Delta variant, click here.

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.