Westmoreland Co. Commissioner In Quarantine After Testing Positive For Coronavirus
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
GREENSBURG (KDKA) -- A Westmoreland County commissioner has tested positive for coronavirus.
According to the county Commissioners' Office, Commissioner Douglas Chew is now following all quarantine recommendations.
Meanwhile, the county's Human Resources office is doing contact tracing to find those who were exposed to Commissioner Chew.
The commissioners' suite at the county offices has already been disinfected, and temperature taking requirements are now implemented at all entrances.
Westmoco Commissioner Doug Chew tests positive for COVID19. "I started with symptoms late Sunday. I did a drive-through test early Monday afternoon and received results this morning. I will quarantine for 10 days in my house as required." More tonight on KDKA pic.twitter.com/Vu1MGLC8qB
— Ross Guidotti (@RossGuidotti) October 6, 2020
All public meetings for the week are canceled as a precaution and the commissioners' offices are closed.
Commissioner Cerilli released a statement, saying in part: "Our entire commissioner suite is getting tested. We have canceled all of our meetings this week as a precaution. Temperature checks will resume at all entrances of the Courthouse beginning today."
With word of Chew's diagnosis, county commissioners Gina Cerilli and Sean Kertes are also in self-quarantine pending outcomes of their COVID-19 tests.
KDKA's Ross Guidotti talked to Kertes Tuesday evening, and he says his test came back negative.
And Cerilli posted on her personal Facebook page saying she did a rapid coronavirus test this morning and the test results are negative. She says she's still quarantining until all of the commissioners' staff get their results back.
I did a rapid covid test this morning. I just received a call that my test results are negative. I'm still quarantining...
Posted by Gina Cerilli Thrasher, Esq. Westmoreland County Commissioner -Personal Page on Tuesday, October 6, 2020
In addition to temperature checks returning, all of the commissioners' offices in the county courthouse are closed with their staff instructed to get tested and quarantine at home in the time being.
"Well, I think they could be a little more stringent on some of their requirements. Taking the temps is a start, and a mask is a good thing too," said Level Green resident Victor DeMarchi.
This latest pandemic-produced action comes as the county itself has seen a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases over recent weeks.
"The scale has been going up steadily since I don't remember when, and it still hasn't peaked yet, it's still going up," said DeMarchi.
County-run Westmoreland Manor saw a jump in staff and residents contracting the ailment. This week, Westmoreland County commissioners announced a change in the 400-plus bed facility management.
The switch in leadership comes as Westmoreland Manor has seen 114 of the staff and residents now diagnosed with COVID-19.
Bill Randall worked at Westmoreland Manor at one time.
"When I worked there, there were a lot of home healthcare workers that come in and out, and I'm worried because without them the place wouldn't run," Randall said.
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