COVID-19

Burke: Blair not ready to reopen

Commissioner bows out of Chamber event due to reopening focus

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County Commissioner Laura Burke backed away from participating in "Voices of Blair County" after seeing the event focused on reopening businesses, something she said she isn't supporting.

"I don't think we are ready to reopen, based on the data I've seen and the increasing number of (COVID-19) cases," Burke said Wednesday after posting an online notice as to why she wouldn't be among the event's participants.

The Blair County Chamber, in partnership with the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. and the Altoona Curve, initiated "Voices of Blair County" on Wednesday night at PNG Field. The event included presentation of a billboard that Blair County residents are being asked to sign through Friday morning in support of easing COVID-19 restrictions so businesses in the county can begin opening.

Starting Friday, the state is easing restrictions for some counties in the state. But Blair County, with 25 COVID-19 cases, is to remain among the counties with the most restrictions.

Burke's fellow commissioner, Bruce Erb, who spoke at the "Voices of Blair County" event, urged people to sign the billboard to let governmental leaders in Harrisburg know that the county is ready to open.

Commissioner Amy Webster, who also advocates easing restrictions so businesses can open, had petitions circulated during Friday's rally hosted by the Blair County Tea Party. Those petitions, Webster reported during Tuesday's commissioners meeting, were delivered to the governor.

Burke said that she initially indicated she would attend the "Voices of Blair County" event.

"I believed it was an opportunity for our community to come together, express our continued resolve and strength during this crisis, and to do so in a socially distanced, responsible way," Burke said in an online posting.

After reviewing a press release about the event, issued by the chamber, Burke said it was clear to her that the event would promote the reopening of the county.

During Tuesday's commissioners meeting and in speaking Wednesday with the Mirror, Burke said that Blair County is falling short of meeting state recommendations for COVID-19 testing.

The state wants a county to test about 2% monthly, she said, but Blair County's rate was 0.9%, about half that amount.

She said she also has questions about what she thinks is a lack of contact tracing to identify people who may have come in contact with an infected person.

"I know in Centre County, they had Department of Health people train displaced workers on how to do it, how to contact those who were exposed … but I'm not sure what we're doing here," she said.

And Centre County's COVID-19 numbers keep climbing, Burke said, so she questions if it should be among the counties easing restrictions starting Friday.

Aside from her concerns, Burke rendered praise for efforts that have kept Blair County's COVID-19 cases out of high-risk settings like skilled care and nursing homes and the county prison.

"That a big success story is here in Blair County," she said.

Before deciding against attending "Voices of Blair County," Burke prepared remarks with praise for those who have responded to challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

"None of these changes we have gone through have been easy, and this challenge is not over," she wrote. "But as the days stretch into weeks and now months, we are still here. We are resilient and we will come out of this stronger than we were before."

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.