Washington County is the first in Western Pennsylvania to have a presumed positive case of the novel coronavirus, according to state officials.
The case was added to the growing list of Pennsylvania cases during a 5 p.m. update by the state Department of Health.
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the presumptive positive case in Washington County is an adult.
Cumberland County in southcentral Pennsylvania also had its first three cases confirmed by the state.
The total number of cases in the state has grown to 41. Six of the cases have been confirmed by the CDC and 35 are presumptive positive.
The court system in Washington moved swiftly to limit person-to-person contact in the courthouse, and President Judge Katherine Emery placed restrictions on some court proceedings: motions will be handled by phone or email, and contested motions will be rescheduled or argued by phone.
Continuances can be requested by phone or email, and fees will be waived.
Status conferences, guilty pleas and bench warrants will be done via video conference. Judges could be assigned to different courtrooms to allow attorneys or litigants to have appropriate space between them.
Court events and meetings — not proceedings or conferences — might be limited, rescheduled or held via phone, and work-related travel outside of Washington must be approved on a case-by-case basis.
She also ordered that employees must stay home if they or someone who lives with them has any signs of illness, like sneezing, coughing or difficulty breathing.
Juror summons will be limited, and criminal cases will take priority over civil cases. Residents who receive a jury summons will be allowed to reschedule their service if they or someone they live with is ill.
The breakdown by county is as follows:
Bucks (3)
Chester (1)
Cumberland (3)
Delaware (6)
Monroe (3)
Montgomery (18)
Northampton (1)
Philadelphia (3)
Pike (1)
Washington (1)
Wayne (1)
