Community Affairs « Lackawanna County

Consortium Assembled For COVID-19 Testing

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Lackawanna County and a group of governmental and public safety bodies have joined forces to offer free COVID-19 testing to area residents in an attempt to combat the stubborn virus, curb its rapid spread, and help residents to stay healthy.

The Department of Health and the Lackawanna County Commissioners are partnering with the Dickson City Police, Pennsylvania State Police, The Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department, Penn DOT, and the County’s Emergency Services Department on the initiative, which will be held on November 21, 22, 23 & 24 from 7 AM to 6 PM in the parking lot of the former K-Mart store located along Rt. 6, Dickson City.

“This is great news for our residents. We are very grateful to be a part of this effort. It is our duty and commitment to take action to safeguard everyone from the virus. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our people and small business community. Any defense that we can mount against COVID-19 is well-worth the effort, cost and cause. It’s about saving lives and maintaining wellness the best we can,” explained the Board of Commissioners.

The Commonwealth has contracted AMI Health from Reston, Virginia, to administer the testing. The firm has the capability to test up to 440 individuals per day. Once the daily threshold is reached, testing will cease for the day.

No appointments are needed and people will have a drive-thru or walk-up option. Penn DOT directional signage will guide people to the testing area.

The nostril swab testing is completely free to anyone who wishes to be checked. The age range is three years-old and up, regardless of the symptoms.

AMI will ask for private insurance information to cover the cost of the lab fees. If AMI cannot utilize the person’s insurance, the charge will be submitted to the federal government for reimbursement.

Individuals who test positive will be contacted by AMI in 24-72 hours. Negative test results will be emailed back to the individual in a few days. In the event that he/she does not have an email address, the person will be notified by telephone.

Lackawanna County Heritage Fair Board Announces Postponement of 2020 Fair

LACKAWANNA COUNTY HERITAGE FAIR BOARD ANNOUNCES POSTPONEMENT OF 2020 FAIR

The Lackawanna County Heritage Fair Board has postponed the 2020 Heritage Fair from the scheduled opening date of May 27, 2020 to an undetermined date later this year. The Board’s decision followed several weeks of evaluation and internal discussion of the best available data on the progression of the COVID-19 contagion in NEPA, including a meeting with Dr. Shubhra Shetty. Dr. Shetty is Regional Associate Dean, North Campus, at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, and Medical Director of the Ryan White Infectious Disease Clinic at the Wright Center for Community Health in Scranton. She is an infectious disease consultant in two area hospitals.

The Board’s decision was guided by current orders from Governor Wolf which suspended non-life sustaining business activity until further notice and requires sheltering at home until April 30, 2020; by the rate of ongoing active infections in the NEPA region; and by the need to update and implement enhanced disease prevention protocols for the Fair.

The Board will choose a new date for the 2020 Fair following the release of Governor Wolf’s plan for lifting social distancing limits and reopening businesses.

Lackawanna County Public Defenders Office Establishes Free Legal Hotline

Staff attorneys from the Lackawanna County Public Defenders office are providing free legal advice in criminal matters over the phone for an initial consultation only during the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning Wednesday, April 8.

This “round-the-clock” assistance is being staffed by highly experienced staff. This service is being offered regardless of whether the client meets income guidelines, which typically determine eligibility for the office’s legal services.

The hotline was initiated to help reduce the stress and anxiety caused by the current health issue, and the closure of the courthouse due to the pandemic.

The service will enable the office’s regular client base and new individuals to obtain guidance and assistance over the phone without the necessity of an in person conference.

Lackawanna County Chief Public Defender Atty. Larry Moran, Sr., stresses that this service would be limited to an initial conference. Also, it would not, and could not, extend to representation in court. This scenario would only change if it was determined that the caller qualified financially for a Public Defender. Then, the caller would be instructed to file a formal application.

If a caller needed to engage a private attorney because he/she was deemed ineligible for the office’s services,
they would be assisted in contacting a private lawyer.

For assistance during the day, evening, weekends and holiday, the number to call is 570/963/6761.

Lackawanna Historical Society Collects Covid-19 Data to Build Local Archive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 4/1/2020

CONTACT:
Lackawanna Historical Society
Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus, Executive Director
232 Monroe Ave., Scranton, PA 18510
570-344-3841
[email protected]

Lackawanna Historical Society Collects Covid-19 Data to Build Local Archive

SCRANTON, PA – History happens every day, some days are more historic than others. Right now, we’re certainly living through a bit of history that will undoubtedly be studied by scholars in the future. To make their job easier, we’re excited to unveil the LHS Covid-19 Archive project, a virtual ‘instant archive” for members of our community to record their thoughts and reactions to the pandemic. In an effort to document this historic moment, the Lackawanna Historical Society has prepared two online surveys, one for students and one for adults, and created an upload link where individuals can share their personal experiences and reflections of how the pandemic is effecting them. The Lackawanna Historical Society is dedicated to documenting, preserving and interpreting Lackawanna County history and whats happening right now is a significant part of that history.

We invite the public to participate by going to: www.lackawannahistory.org/LHSCovid19ArchiveCollecting.html
to complete our survey or upload their story.

The Society will continue to not only document and collect data but is also working to provide interesting and educational local history programs including an online local history curriculum with discussion questions at http://www.lackawannahistory.org/LocalHistoryCurriculum.html

The public is encouraged to check our website www.lackawannahistory.org and daily Facebook posts for more details on future projects.

For more information or to make reservations for the opening, contact the Lackawanna Historical Society at 570-344-3841 or email [email protected].

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Archives

Consortium Assembled For COVID-19 Testing

Lackawanna County Heritage Fair Board Announces Postponement of 2020 Fair

Lackawanna County Public Defenders Office Establishes Free Legal Hotline

Lackawanna Historical Society Collects Covid-19 Data to Build Local Archive

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