10% of City of Pittsburgh's employees are in covid quarantine, officials say

About 10% of the City of Pittsburgh’s workforce is off work because they are quarantining for possible covid-19 exposure, the city announced Wednesday.

That amounts to about 330 of the city’s 3,300-person workforce. A smaller but unspecified number of workers are off because they’ve tested positive for covid.

The workers are paid for their time off, according to Tim McNulty, spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto.

The numbers, released Wednesday by Peduto’s office, mirror previous news that at least 100 — about 10% — of the city’s police force was in quarantine as of Nov. 17.

The city is still providing services, although those who can are working from home since the spring stage of the coronavirus pandemic.

“City workers are continuing to deliver services, safely, to residents, even during this worsening pandemic,” Peduto said. “We will continue to review our covid-19 response efforts as cases are expected to surge this winter.”

Employees who work in the field, like police, fire and public works employees, are required to wear masks at all times and remain socially distanced.

Workers are screened at the start of their shifts.

Each city department is tracking cases and those who are in quarantine. Official travel has been suspended and workers who travel for personal reasons are required to file a report with their supervisor when they return.

These reports are reviewed by the city’s Emergency Medial Services department and any employee who is deemed a high-risk is required to quarantine and be tested for covid-19.

The city’s salt and plow trucks are operated by single drivers who must pass a health screen. Should the city need to, it can contract with private businesses for snow removal.

Allegheny County on Wednesday reported 508 new cases as the county nears the 30,000 case milestone since March 14, when the first case was reported in the county.