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Credit Min Xian / WPSU
Prompted by COVID-19, State College is looking into creating a health department, which would give the borough more control when responding to future pandemics and other public health issues.
Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said having a health department would let the borough be more agile when responding to situations like the significant population fluctuations that happened this year during the pandemic. State College saw most Penn State students leave in March then return in the fall.
“I think having the ability to manage some of the local issues more directly from a local health department we think creates some advantage for us locally as opposed to simply relying on the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Fountaine said.