Confirmed coronavirus case in Washington County, state of emergency declared in Fayette
A state of emergency was declared in Fayette County by the commissioners, as cases of the coronavirus were identified in Washington and Allegheny counties.
A single case in Washington County case was announced Friday. Two cases in Allegheny County were announced by the state Department of Health on Saturday afternoon.
The Allegheny County cases bring the state蘑菇视频 total count to 47. Forty-one of those are presumptive positive, meaning the state tested a sample and it was positive. An additional six cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania were confirmed positive by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Under the emergency declaration, the Fayette County commissioners are developing a plan for county operations, as a precaution if the virus is detected in the county. The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency is receiving daily updates from the state EMA and DOH, and they have updated their emergency medical dispatch protocols for future COVID-19 screenings, officials said.
Visits to the Fayette County Jail are suspended for two weeks. Greene County Prison has done the same.
鈥淎lthough the virus has not been detected in Fayette County, commissioners Dave Lohr, Vince Vicites and Scott Dunn are working with all county officials to prepare for a potential future outbreak,鈥� noted a press release from the county issued Friday evening. 鈥淐ommissioners maintain that the health and safety of those who live and work in or visit Fayette County is paramount.鈥�
The commissioners participated in a conference call with White House officials Friday afternoon as President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency.
Declaring a state of emergency will 鈥減reemptively bolster the county蘑菇视频 efforts to seek critical funding, should extensive action against the virus be necessary in the future,鈥� said county solicitor Jack Purcell.
The March agenda-setting and voting meetings will be held in one session on Thursday, March 19, in an effort to minimize large crowds gathering. Non-essential items, including the vote on the proposed Second Amendment ordinance, will be removed from the agenda and postponed.
Future meetings and events will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
鈥淚nternally, Fayette County蘑菇视频 department heads, sheriff蘑菇视频 department, security and prison staff, buildings and grounds department, and others have been receiving regular updates to help mitigate the spread of the virus,鈥� the press release said. 鈥淐ounty employees are being encouraged to stay home if they are feeling ill; and to communicate internally and with the public via electronic means, as much as possible. Employee travel will also be limited.鈥�
Commissioners reiterated the CDC recommendations to mitigate the spread of the virus, including vigorous hand washing, avoidance of facial touching, sneezing or coughing into cloths or elbows and social distancing from crowds.
鈥淚f you suspect you have been in contact with someone infected or are exhibiting signs of illness, you are encouraged to stay home and avoid contact with others,鈥� officials said. 鈥淭he federal government has identified the elderly and chronically ill as those most at-risk of contracting the virus.鈥�
Westmoreland County蘑菇视频 commissioners also declared a state of emergency during a Saturday morning press conference. Officials said doing so is a 鈥減reventative measure,鈥� but said Tuesday蘑菇视频 special election for the 58th Legislative District will proceed as planned.