The Chautauqua County Commission will give an official response to a letter posted in a local newspaper by an area doctor.

In a letter to the editor that appeared in the August 27 edition of the Prairie Star, Sedan City Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Jim McDermott shared his concerns that emergency management director Cody Collier and the county commission are not taking every measure to acquire protective resources in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to McDermott, 104 out of 105 counties have declared a state of disaster, with Chautauqua County remaining the only holdout. This, in turn, disqualifies the county from receiving PPE, FEMA reimbursement for damages, and liability coverage.

McDermott attended the August 24 commission meeting in person to share the letter with commissioners. At this Monday's meeting, commissioners Parker Massey, Jack Carpenter and Rodney Shaw agreed to submit an official response to the newspaper alongside Collier.