Mayor declares state of emergency in West Chester Borough due to spike in COVID-19 cases

The state of emergency goes into effect Friday at 6 p.m.

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin has declared a state of emergency throughout the borough starting Friday at 6 p.m.

The announcement comes after a spike in COVID-19 cases over the past month particularly among young adults between 18 and 22 years old.

Mayor Herrin says she hopes the state of emergency will improve West Chester's ability to manage coronavirus transmission in the community.

A spokesperson for West Chester released a statement reading in part, "West Chester University considers itself a partner in the West Chester community and takes seriously its responsibility to put actions in place that strongly encourage students to practice social distancing and wear masks to aide in mitigation of COVID-19. The University’s COVID Campus Cooperation Plan details protocols, policies, and procedures that it enforces and expects all students to follow."

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