Apr 17, 2020 4 min read

Jeff Yates, Washington County Director of Public Safety, encouraged residents to continue to shelter in place, follow social distancing guidelines, and wear masks in public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The virus determines what our next actions will be,” said Yates. “That’s true of the stay-at-home order. It looks like we’re getting a flattening in the curve, and that’s a great thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s now clear for everybody to go outside. We still need to stay at home and maintain social distancing. If we relax our guard and start mingling with people, those numbers will shoot right up again.”

As of Thursday, Washington County had 73 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one death.

Yates spoke Thursday on Morning Briefing, a webinar hosted by Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

He said he believes the stay-at-home order, social distancing, and Washington County’s rural geography have contributed to keeping numbers manageable so far. He is “a little optimistic” that the county has not been overwhelmed with cases.

Yates said the public safety department has been pleased with the support from and coordination with municipalities, hospitals and first responders, fire departments and police departments, who regularly share information and plans.

Yates said the COVID-19 pandemic has been the most challenging public safety disaster he’s managed in his nearly 25 years as director of public safety.

“It’s the scope. This is the first time everyone in the county has been hit at the same time,” said Yates.

The county has had trouble purchasing supplies, and Yates said he welcomes donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers, and other supplies to supplement what the county received from the national stockpile and he has been able to buy through other channels.

The department has had at least four distributions of PPE in an effort to ensure first responders are protected as much as they can be.

“There are things we’ve needed for several weeks and haven’t been able to get,” said Yates. “(First responders)are at a point where they have a minimal amount of (protective) clothing. If anyone has PPE, hand sanitizers, anything to spare, we can give it to first responders.”

The community has responded, Yates said, noting area dentists who have donated N95 masks, distilleries who have switched operations to produce hand sanitizer, and businesses that have donated face shields.

Yates said the shortage of face masks for first responders, employees, and residents continues to be an issue, noting that Amazon and other retail outlets have sold out of them because of the high demand. He said the county placed orders for face masks in March, and every order has been canceled or delayed until as late as December.

He suggested turning to homemade masks, or using bandannas.

Yates also encouraged residents to keep a two-week supply of groceries in their homes to minimize trips to the grocery store.

“We’re at a time where people really need to be prepared and need to think about what they need in their house for two weeks, to limit trips out,” he said. He urged people not to hoard, noting most items are available.

Yates said he can’t predict when the local economy will reopen, but anticipates that it will be a “slow rollout” and likely will be tied to testing.

With no vaccine, limited testing, and uncertainty whether a second wave of the virus will occur, or if it will return next year, it’s difficult to determine when school, work, and other activities can resume.

“This is unprecedented territory. Nobody’s ever done this before,” Yates said.

Yates also noted one of the biggest problems the county has encountered is rumors and false information posted on social media. He advised residents to view the Washington County website at www.co.washington.pa.us, or submit questions to publicinformation@co.washington.pa.us., and the county will respond.