A COVID-19 Update

January 6, 2021

Dear Kennett Community,

At our annual Reorganizational Meeting this past Monday night, I shared the following remarks about COVID-19. For those who were not at that meeting, I wanted to make sure I shared this with you as well.

COVID-19 claimed the lives of four Kennett Township residents in 2020, despite doing what many did to help limit its deadly spread.

I want to thank everyone who continue to donate PPE, time and/or funds to our first responders, others on the front line, and to the various non-profits that help those in need due to being displaced by COVID-19 from their jobs and homes. To those of you who continue to support local businesses by shopping safely and doing takeout from local restaurants, thank you for your extra efforts.

I have been keeping track of known cases in Kennett Township by checking the Chester County website. As of the last day of 2020, there were 294 known cases. New known cases continue to increase in Kennett Township every week, are now averaging 30 new known cases per week, and each of the prior 3 weeks were record highs. [The graph below] shows the increase in known cases using an average of the prior 4 weeks; as you can see, there is a dramatic increase starting in early November through the end of December (the last data available).

New Known COVID-19 Cases of Kennett Township

Whatever you thought of the risk of COVID-19 before, in the spring and summer, and into fall, based upon this information, the risks are now at least 3 times higher. This increase in risk is to you, regardless of your individual risk, and to your older family members, friends, neighbors or people you come in contact with when out and about, especially those with other risk factors, as you can unknowingly have COVID-19 and pass it along to them. Please do not put yourself or anyone else at any higher risk than necessary.

Vaccines are coming, but they will be given to health care providers and people at very high risk first and it will take some time to vaccinate enough people to slow the spread. You can go to the Chester County website (https://chesco.org/4822/COVID19Vaccine) to learn more. If you are in If you are in the Phase 1A (Coroner, Medical Examiner and Funeral Staff, Healthcare Personnel, EMS Providers, Long-Term Care Residents) or Phase 1B (Childcare Staff, Corrections Staff, County and Municipal Administration Staff, Educators/Education Staff, Firefighters, Food and Agriculture Staff, Grocery Store Staff, Law Enforcement, Manufacturing Staff, Persons 75 Years and Older, Transit Staff, U.S. Postal Service Staff) consider completing a COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Survey to express your interest in a vaccination and to be notified when it become available to be administered to you.

COVID-19 can be slowed, if we all try to follow appropriate precautions; one doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you try, you’ll reduce your risk of catching COVID-19 or passing it along to someone else. When around others not in your household, wear a mask, be outside (if possible) and maintain a physical distance from other people, it will lessen your risk, and theirs. Please do continue to stay socially and emotionally connect to and supportive of each other, as this has been a long road and we are not yet out of the woods.

Stay safe,
Rich Leff
Chairman, Board of Supervisors