St. Januarius parishioners in Plum warned of possible coronavirus exposure

Parishioners who attended June 22 services at St. Januarius Church in Plum may have been exposed to covid-19, diocesan officials said.

A parishioner who attended the service that day is being tested for the virus after a relative contracted it, said Ellen Mady, Diocese of Pittsburgh chancellor.

Precautionary measures are being taken pending the test results, including a voluntary quarantine for the priest who led Mass.

Church officials were not immediately available for comment.

Anyone who went to services that day is being notified of the potential exposure and being advised to follow CDC guidelines.

“We’ve been following everything from health officials,” the Rev. Kevin Poecking, priest administrator of the Oakmond-Plum-Verona group. “If we have to shut down, it will give us more time to pray for our families and the community.

”We’ve taken every precaution to keep people safe, but this is a dangerous virus.”

St. Januarius is a member of the Catholic Parishes of Oakmont, Plum and Verona. The building has not been used since the June 22 Mass.

It is being cleaned and sanitized before use on Sunday.

This follows news Thursday that three police officers and a Mad Mex employee in Monroeville tested positive for covid-19.

Monroeville Manager Tim Little said in an email that the municipality is following all CDC guidelines and that the incident has not affected the operation of the police department.

Municipal officials declined to say when the officers were diagnosed, if they were hospitalized or any further information such as their ages or roles within the department.

Mad Mex officials said via social media that they temporarily closed the facility. It was not clear when it will reopen.