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Westmoreland Co.: 2 Public Safety Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

GREENSBURG (KDKA) -- Westmoreland County's battle against COVID-19 continues on multiple fronts as outbreaks at the county prison and the county care home, Westmoreland Manor, continue.

The County Commissioners Office also confirmed Wednesday that two Public Safety Department employees have tested positive for coronavirus. The employees work for Westmoreland County 911.

The employees are now in quarantine as the county takes steps towards cleaning and contact tracing.

The Office of the County Commissioners says they are having the Public Safety building cleaned and disinfected. Other employees are being urged to wear masks. They have also instituted temperature checks.

The county Human Resources Department is doing the contact tracing.

Westmoreland County Prison is reporting 36 inmates and four staff members infected, which is an increase of 33 in a week.

Westmoreland Manor reports 112 residents and 33 staff members infected.

County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Gina Cirilli tell KDKA that the county is doing what it can and must do.

"The inmates are isolated in one to a cell," Kertes said. "We're doing as much as we can to make sure the inmates have protection, as well as our guards down there. We're following the order of the state to a T."

"Right now, we're very lucky we do have enough PPE in stock. Our emergency management isn't just helping Westmoreland Manor, they're helping nursing homes across the county. So we are in a very good place right now," Cirilli said.

The latest numbers from the state show 3,053 total cases, 60 new cases and 64 deaths.

On Tuesday, county commissioners earmarked $7.7 million in federal funds to battle the virus. The number of materials used and cost to mitigate the spread in Westmoreland Manor and the jail alone are substantial.

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