MCADOO, Pa. — A borough mayor in one part of Schuylkill County put a curfew in place, making the area he oversees the first in the county to have such guidelines.
The surging cases of COVID-19 in nearby Hazleton played a big part in that decision.
"I just really truly believe it was the best call for the citizens here in the borough," said McAdoo Mayor Dane Watro.
A curfew for the borough of McAdoo is in effect between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. McAdoo is the first municipality in Schuylkill County to put a curfew in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"We just have to keep people separated right now and away from large gatherings. Family, I understand, families can get together, and that's in the proclamation as well. But just to keep everybody separated, small groups of four people or less. That's where I'm at with it."
Another reason Mayor Watro put the curfew in place is that McAdoo is less than five miles away from Hazleton, where COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
The mayor of Hazleton says the area has at least 1,000 cases of coronavirus.
"This past weekend when Hazleton and the surrounding communities enacted their proclamation, declaration, I got many messages, 'Mayor, can we do this?' and nobody reached out to me saying not to do it," said Mayor Watro.
Watro wouldn't speculate on whether there are any coronavirus cases in McAdoo or how many. He also tells us he's already looking to extend the curfew beyond the seven-day limit that's currently in place.
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