(1/2022) As COVID-19 roars back into our lives at a dizzying pace with the Omicron Variant, it is highly recommended by the vast majority of medical experts, that short of total isolation which is impractical, that Adams County residents consider vaccination.

Pennsylvania was one of six states combined to account for 60 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Here is some data to back that up. WellSpan reported they have gone from 321 COVID-19 positive patients in their hospitals on December 2nd to 399 on December 8th. They expected those numbers to continue to rise, and they were correct, they are rising. All the WellSpan hospitals are well over 100% capacity. In addition, urgent care visits are up 200 percent and patients hospitalized with COVID-19 up 20 percent. Adding to the COVID-19 surge are increased volumes for influenza and other respiratory diseases because of the lack of masking and social distancing this year compared to last year.

WellSpan is greatly concerned with the influx of more patients in the coming days and weeks. WellSpan had previously reported that over 100% of their patients on ventilators are unvaccinated, 100% of COVID intensive care patients are unvaccinated, and 85% of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated.

Reaching and passing medical facility capacity constraints don't just impact COVID-19 patients, but also anyone else seeking emergency care for heart attacks or strokes. WellSpan and other providers are striving to make sure they have beds available for all who seek emergency care. Thus, WellSpan and most other providers, announced they are also postponing elective procedures at many of their facilities to ensure enough space for those seeking emergency care. We are individually beginning to hear the impact on individuals being made to postpone procedures that may be elective, but significantly impact the quality of their lives.

At this time Adams County has a dismal vaccination rate of only 49.6%. It is easy to get a vaccination appointment for initial vaccinations or the booster. I recently had my booster. Get an appointment now! The WellSpan COVID -19 testing center continues to operate daily at the Adams County Department of Emergency Services next to the Adams County Correctional Facility.

Citizens in Adams County can now send a short message service (SMS) text message to 911 for emergency help when unable to make a 911 voice call. This service is available to all wireless customers beginning on December 15th. According to Adams County Department of Emergency Services Director Warren Bladen, Text-to-911 was not developed as a replacement to a voice call to 911 in an emergency situation, but rather as an enhancement to reach 911 services in three specific situations: 1) The caller is hearing/voice impaired, 2) a medical emergency renders the person incapable of speech, or 3) when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger, such as a home invasion, a domestic violence incident, or an active shooter scenario.

When in an emergency, all wireless callers should remember to "call if you can; text if you can’t". Using a phone to call 911 is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help. Texting is not always instantaneous, which is critical during a life-threatening emergency. It may take slightly longer to dispatch emergency services in a text-to-911 situation because of the time involved: Someone must enter the text, the message must go over the network, and the 911 telecommunicator must read the text and then text back. As with any 911 call, the texting function should only be used for emergency situations that require an immediate response from police, fire, or emergency medical services. For non-emergency situations, customers should contact their local public safety agency via a 10-digit non-emergency number (717-334-8101).

The Adams County Community Giving Spree shattered previous years giving by bringing in $3.08 million to be distributed among 120 local non-profits. That total surpassed last year’s $2.14 million. It was also announced that the Adams County Giving Spree raised more money per capita than any other Giving Day organization in the country. The Adams County Historical Society was the largest recipient with $789,533. They are in the process of raising $10 million for a new museum and artifact storage facility, adjacent Barlow’s Knoll, just north of Gettysburg. SCCAP was next with $395,294 The Adams County Land Conservancy ranked 3rd with $155,187, that will go directly to conservation of farmland, wildlife habitat, open spaces, and water sheds. Adams Countians should be proud of their generosity toward all these worthy causes and valued organizations! A shout out to the Staff and Board of the Adams County Community Foundation for their vision, work, and contributions for improving the quality of life in Adams County!

Adams County was pleased to share the groundbreaking on December 9, of an affordable housing unit, Meadow View, in Cumberland Township. Meadow View Townhomes are being developed by Luminest Inc, a not-for-profit Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) with the support of Adams County. According to the Central Adams Joint Comprehensive Plan, "New housing should be specifically targeted to Suburban Residential and Neighborhood Mixed Use areas" and "Accommodate at least 75% to 80% of the new housing demand within Designated Growth Areas," which includes Cumberland Township.

The construction of Meadow View Townhomes will provide the Market Area with new, high quality rental housing units. Each home will be one or two stories with a front porch, rear patio, garage, and driveway; the two-bedroom units will have vaulted living/dining rooms ceiling and the three-bedroom units have an area for play/study. The community building will provide additional amenity space consisting of a community room with a full kitchen. Meadow View Townhomes is designed to achieve National Green Building Standard Silver Level and Zero Energy Ready Home Program certifications. Affordable Housing is one of Adams County’s most significant needs and the Adams County Board of Commissioners applaud this project!

The Pennsylvania Diary Association is on a path toward facilitating a "Pennsylvania Ag Discovery Center" most likely to be located in South-Central Pennsylvania. Several counties, including Adams County, are in the process of making presentations to the association’s search committee to illustrate the appropriateness of the facility in their county. On Friday, December 10, an Adams County collaborative group made an outstanding presentation to the search committee. The presentation group included the Adams County Commissioners, Adams County Planning, Adams County Economic Development, and Destination Gettysburg. Congressman Joyce’s office, Representative Ecker and Representative Moul (Chris Kimple) all were in attendance. The Pennsylvania Ag Discovery Center would result in economic benefits, as well as educating the public to the diverse agriculture industry that Pennsylvania offers.

We believe that Adams County offers outstanding potential sites, diverse county-wide agriculture, Gettysburg National Military Park, an existing tourism industry to draw from, partner and expand, + easy access from urban centers. The collaborative effort between the groups for the presentation with such short notice is to be applauded. The group understood that to be the recipient of this complex would be both significant and meaningful given our Agricultural, Historical & Tourism heritage. We will keep residents informed of this exciting project as it develops.

The Adams County Board of Commissioners wishes you and your family a Happy, Blessed and Healthy New Year! No matter what you do get out there and experience all the historical, recreational, agricultural, natural, and cultural opportunities that beautiful Adams County has to offer!