The Chester County Commissioners have launched RestoreChesterCounty.org, a comprehensive online toolkit that offers guidelines specifically designed for Chester County’s 15,000-plus businesses and 525,000 residents as they move from the red phase to the yellow phase on June 5.

“As we surveyed Chester County’s businesses, organizations, and residents over the past weeks, the feedback we consistently received was that while there is an overwhelming amount of information on best practices for reopening, very little of it is easy to navigate or tailored for our community,” said Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz.

“RestoreChesterCounty.org provides direct access to guidelines that are broken down by 20 different business and organization sectors here in Chester County.”

Visitors to RestoreChesterCounty.org will immediately be presented with access to a Business & Org Toolkit, as well as Resident Toolkit. The Business & Org Toolkit lists guidelines that span industries, including a checklist for knowing if your business is ready, how to get it to that point, and how to find resources for obtaining personal protective equipment. Business and organizational leaders can then drill deeper by accessing 20 different business and organization sectors, including everything from agriculture and office settings to restaurants, personal care, schools, religious organizations, and more.

“We’re frequently seeing online resources that point you to yet another online resource,” said Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell. “Rather than sending you down that rabbit hole of information, we are curating best practices specifically for our county’s business and organization sectors. At the same time, we are making that information accessible to our residents so they can know what to expect as they support local businesses and feel protected and confident when they do.”

All information found on RestoreChesterCounty.org is drawn from federal, state, and county guidelines. Feedback from Chester County’s nine chambers of commerce and businesses was compared with the state’s mitigation recommendations, to make sure the toolkit includes coronavirus prevention strategies that are realistic and therefore will be followed by county businesses. The guidelines are designed to supplement – not replace – any state and local safety laws, rules, and regulations applicable to a particular industry segment.

“Business and organization leaders from Chester County’s various sectors have indicated that these are the topics of highest concern at this point,” said Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline. “It should be noted that these guidelines are based on the best practices as they stand now and will be updated as our community’s needs and circumstances change. We are continually receiving feedback from the community that contributes to updates.”

Restore Chester County is an initiative launched by the county’s COVID-19 Business Task Force, a collaborative of business, economic, education, and government leaders formed by the Chester County Commissioners last month to focus on reopening and restoring Chester County’s economy affected by COVID-19. Chester County businesses have been sharing their innovative ways to safely offer services by e-mailing the task force at business@chesco.org, and many of those strategies are shared throughout RestoreChesterCounty.org in vignettes that feature the business owners and their stories.

While sharing his insights, Greg Selke – CEO of ONExia, a manufacturer based in Exton – said: “Our hope is that state and federal leaders will create a very positive business and economy narrative that will encourage large companies to again begin investing in their plants and equipment. The county’s help with reopening businesses that support our workforce – including retail and restaurants – is of great value to us.”

Selke’s story, as well as those from 19 other business and organization sectors will be shared in the social media campaign #RestoreChesCo throughout the summer. Chester County businesses and residents are also encouraged to share their reopening experiences, tips, and insights using the hashtag #RestoreChesCo.

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