Council approves pandemic plan
At their July 16 meeting, Northampton County Council members voted unanimously (9-0) to approve what Executive Lamont McClure calls his pandemic protection program. It’s a three-pronged attack aimed at both reducing community spread of CoOVID-19 while providing some assistance to school districts with online learning. It’s funded through part of the $27.5 million Northampton County recently received in CARES Act funding. Lehigh County has received $33 million and is currently formulating its own relief plan.
Broadband access
Northampton County Council approved $825,000 in grants for broadband access. The school districts of Bethlehem, Easton, Bangor, Northampton and Nazareth will each receive $100,000 each, while $50,000 each will go to the schools districts of Wilson, Saucon Valley and Pen Argyl. Northampton County Department of Human Services (DHS) will use $175,000 to purchase Wi-Fi annual vouchers and electronic equipment for underserved senior citizens and veterans within the county.
McClure told council that school districts have large percentages of students who either completely lack or have spotty Internet access.
“We have a chance ... to really make a difference in the lives of these students,” he said.
Are parochial and charter school students being left out? Not so, said council member Kerry Myers , who at one time served on and presided over the Easton Area School Board. He indicated the district will be required to assist all students who reside in the district.
Some Northampton County students are in Northern Lehigh and Catasauqua school districts. Executive Lamont McClure indicated they would be served as well.
McClure added that many seniors and veterans with limited incomes need Internet access.
Drive-thru testing
Council approved $300,000 for a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for Northampton County residents displaying at least one symptom of the coronavirus. Lamont McClure and Northampton County DCED organized a partnership with Lehigh Valley Hospital-Coordinated Health Allentown Hospital (LVH-CHA) to set up the site, which will be located at 3100 Emrick Blvd. in Bethlehem. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The site will open in a few weeks.
No prescription is required but, to be eligible for testing, individuals must report or display one or more CDC-recognized symptoms of COVID-19: fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or loss of taste and/or smell. The drive-thru testing site is open to everyone, but only residents of Northampton County are eligible to have the cost covered by the county if they do not have health coverage. All testing will be through HNL Lab Medicine unless insurance requires an alternate laboratory. Participants should bring a photo ID and their insurance card, if they have one, with them to the testing site.
The importance of increased testing is that it enables public health officials to trace an infected person’s contacts and ask them to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Increased testing will yield an additional spike in cases, but in the long run, reduce community spread.
Universal testing
at county prison
Northampton County Council approved a resolution to allocate $200,000 in CARES Act funds for a proactive testing program for COVID-19 at the Northampton County Prison. On July 7, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended universal testing for jails and prisons. The Department of Corrections will coordinate with Prime Care Medical to develop a plan to test inmates and staff. Noting that the jail is currently COVID-19-free, McClure warned, “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
McClure indicated he may want to perform antibody testing on corrections officers, which may indicate at least a few months of immunity.