MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Hospital Presidents from Lehigh Valley Hospital Pocono and St. Luke's Monroe Campus, are teaming up with the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau to get important information out to residents surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first weekly briefing took place at East Stroudsburg University.
"Our purpose here today is to discuss health care, unemployment concerns and present the latest local statistics," said Chris Barrett, Pocono Mountains Visitors.
COVID-19 Weekly Briefing: A Resource for Pocono Residents will take place every Friday at 10 a.m.
A panel of community leaders will cover a variety of topics related to the virus. Information is tailored specifically to the Pocono community.
The first meeting with health officials focused on how hospitals are coping, how you can get help if you feel sick and concerns with families getting together for Passover and Easter celebrations.
"In this time of the COVID-19 virus, it's really important that we remain true to our social distancing and self isolations and have dinner with those that you normally live with," said Don Seiple, St. Luke's Monroe-Campus President.
"Now is the time that one person can make a difference. You cannot only save your life but the lives of others," said Elizabeth Wise, Lehigh Valley Hospital Pocono President.
State Representative Rosemary Brown was on this week's panel.
She spoke about unemployment measures, financial struggles, school closures and efforts in Harrisburg.
"We have created a COVID-19 cost and recovery task force charged with identifying immediate and urgent issues providing a structure to catalog the Commonwealth response to disaster emergency and creating a recovery plan. This bill is now pending in the senate so we will see what happens with that measure over the next few weeks," said State Representative Rosemary Brown, (R) 189th District.
COVID-19 Weekly Briefing: A Resource for Pocono Residents will be linked to Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.