June 19, 2020 - ChaddsFordLive.com

What it means to be green

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Concord, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

0X0hm5_0P8EeWpt00 — The five-county Philadelphia region will enter the green phase next Friday, according to Gov. Tom Wolf..

Chester County Commissioners, in a press release today, said the county is ready to go green. That word came in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement of today saying the five-county Philadelphia region will enter the green phase on June 26.

“[T]he county is fully prepared to further relax restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the release said.

Commissioner’s Chair Marian Moskowitz said in the release, “County is very ready to move to the next level of re-opening, the green phase. Our public health strategies will ensure that businesses and organizations can re-open or expand their operations safely and that residents can confidently enjoy some of the services that they have been greatly missing…But green does not mean ‘full-throttle go.’ Just as we have asked throughout the yellow phase, we implore everyone to continue to make every effort to contain the coronavirus.”

According to Commissioner Josh Maxwell, “The Chester County Health Department remains focused on a strategy that best monitors and responds to COVID-19; health practices that help to contain outbreaks, minimize community spread of coronavirus, and break the cycle of transmission.”

The release further quoted Maxwell as saying “The Health Department team will continue to conduct investigations of everyone who has a confirmed-positive COVID-19 test, and they have expanded contact tracing to more quickly and thoroughly notify everyone who is in close contact with those who have tested positive. Finally, we have been increasing access to diagnostic swab testing for anyone who is a high risk for COVID as well as for anyone who may be asymptomatic. Bringing these three things together helps us better understand the presence of COVID-19 and monitor any surge in cases in Chester County.”

But what does it mean to go green? According to the county’s website, the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines are to be followed.

Work and congregate setting restrictions:

Continued Telework Strongly Encouraged
Businesses with In-Person Operations Must Follow Updated Business and Building Safety Requirements
All Businesses Operating at 50% Occupancy in the Yellow Phase May Increase to 75 percent Occupancy
Child Care May Open Complying with Guidance
Congregate Care Restrictions in Place
Prison and Hospital Restrictions Determined by Individual Facilities
Schools Subject to CDC and Commonwealth Guidance

Social restrictions

Large Gatherings of More Than 250 Prohibited
Masks Are Required When Entering a Business
Restaurants and Bars Open at 50 percent Occupancy
Personal Care Services (including hair salons and barbershops) Open at 50 percent Occupancy and by Appointment Only
Indoor Recreation, Health and Wellness Facilities, and Personal Care Services (such as gyms and spas) Open at 50 percent Occupancy with Appointments Strongly Encouraged
All Entertainment (such as casinos, theaters, and shopping malls) Open at 50 percent Occupancy
Construction Activity May Return to Full Capacity with Continued Implementation of Protocols
For individuals, the green phase includes handwashing, face coverings, social distancing, environmental surface cleaning a.k.a. cleaning counters
For employers, monitoring workforce for indicative symptoms, developing contact tracing procedures following employee COVID+ test, following federal, state and local regulations and guidance

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Roadwork for June 20-June 26

Along the Ford

PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect drivers in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of Roadwork for June 20-June 26. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones. Work schedules are subject to change.

• Bridge replacement on Route 52, between Pocopson and Creek roads in Birmingham Township, is expected to continue through early July. The same bridgework will also keep Creek Road closed between Riverbend Lane and Country Club Road.

• Barrier installation will cause lane closures on Brandywine Creek Road — between Green Valley Road and Powell Road in Newlin Township — into early July.

• Bridge replacement will close State Street in Kennett Square — between Mill Road and Penns Manor Drive — through Aug. 28.

• Guard rail repair will cause lane closure along Route 1 from the Chester County line to the Montgomery County line through June 28.

• Concord Road bridge over Green Creek will be closed and detoured between Valentine Drive and Foulk Road in Concord Township. Work is expected to be completed in early February 2021. During the closure, Concord Road motorists will be detoured over Valley Brook Road and SmithBridge Road. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone.

• Lane restrictions on the Conchester Highway — between Routes 1 and Clayton Park Drive —continue for reconstruction and widening.

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Daniel Peter Sirusas of Chadds Ford

Obituaries

Daniel Peter Sirusas, 25, of Chadds Ford, died Monday, June 15, at Chester County Hospital.

Born in 1994 in Philadelphia, he was the cherished son of Peter Sirusas and Joanna Bailey Sirusas.

Daniel was always a happy person. He was funny and had a wonderful sense of humor. Daniel enjoyed reading, watching cartoons, and listening to books on tape. He was full of love and one of his favorite things was to have his back scratched. Daniel loved to play games like basketball and duck, duck, goose. He brought an incredible amount of love and joy to the lives of all who knew him, and he will be deeply missed.

In addition to his parents, Peter and Joanna, Daniel is survived by his three sisters; Chelsea and her husband, Tim Wagner, Sofie Sirusas, and Hannah Sirusas.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Daniel. Due to pandemic restrictions, services will be private.

The family kindly requests that contributions in Daniel’s memory may be made to Chester County Women’s Services, 1028 E. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville, PA 19320, or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Arrangements by Kuzo Funeral Home of Kennett Square.

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The Human Resource: Engaging the workforce in a crisis

Business

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted us all in ways that may take years or a lifetime to reflect upon and understand. As businesses begin to reopen and emerge from the shutdown, our workforce — the employees we value and need to succeed — are emerging from a stay at home lockdown that can be a traumatic experience.

The myriad challenges today include returning to a new normal work environment with changes to working conditions. Those changes include moving from remote locations back to the regular physical office and dealing with the stress of civil unrest, protests or riots, on top of a Covid-19 virus that has no cure, and the risk of death. They all combine to create a traumatic situation for many of the people in our community.

As business leaders, it is more critical now to demonstrate strong leadership values and ethics in how you treat your employees and how you create and maintain a life-work balance. That includes the safety and protection of the workforce while building sustainable processes and practices that enable you to continue providing your products and services to your customers and clients.

Three important considerations as we emerge from the stay-at-home lockdown to support your strategy for success.

Employees will have genuine, valid, and realistic fears and concerns when asked to return to a physical work location. Do not demonstrate a disrespectful attitude or communication style by “ordering” people to return to the work location. Instead, develop a communication strategy and alternative working conditions that allow these concerns to be addressed and resolved collaboratively. Treat all employees fairly and collaborate with them through an interactive process to determine how to achieve a win-win situation for the employee and the business.
The employer, as always, has a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for their employees. This means following all local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations to meet safety standards in the workplace. This includes but is not limited to social distancing, remote work when possible, disinfecting the worksite, monitoring the health of the staff, and communicating timely and honestly about positive test results in the workforce that require quarantine or migration back to remote working conditions to avoid the spread of the virus.
Establish policies to handle the new work processes and practices and provide training to all people leaders and the employees. Failure to communicate consistently, transparently, and timely with trust, respect and engagement could lead to employee relations issues that you don’t need right now on top of all the other challenges your business is facing.

Remember your obligations to keep certain matters confidential, to protect the rights of your employees, and to ensure their safety while under your management. The more effective you can be as leaders during this crisis, the more evident it will be that you become an employer of choice who treats people with dignity and respect, which leads to community approval and sustainable business success.

Wishing you all good health and safety during these challenging times.

About Warren Cook

Warren is the President and co-founder of SymbianceHR and provides strategic oversight for service delivery, business operations, and technical guidance on consulting engagements. He is a human resources subject matter expert with over 25 years of experience as a strategic human resources business partner, project manager, and people leader across private and public sectors organizations. Warren is responsible for the strategic planning of all client consulting engagements from initial needs assessment and compliance review through delivery of customized strategic solutions that meet the client’s business goals. He has a proven track record of providing executive coaching and guidance to business leaders and human resource professionals at all levels including the C-Suite of Fortune 100 companies. Warren is also the Chief Talent Officer and cofounder of SymbianceHiRe, a Symbiance company dedicated to providing direct placement talent acquisition services and temporary and contract staffing solutions to the business community. Warren holds a B.S. in Human Resource Management, an MBA in Project Management, and a M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Warren is the author of “Applicant Interview Preparation – Practical Coaching for Today.”

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