New equipment will filter air at Westmoreland Manor

Cleaner air soon will be circulating at Westmoreland Manor as confirmed cases of the coronavirus in residents and staff continue to slow after an outbreak that started in September.

The Westmoreland County commissioners this week approved a $65,000 air quality project including installation of ionization units in the Hempfield nursing home’s HVAC system.

Commissioner Doug Chew said the units will attach to the ductwork and cause viral particles to get caught in filters, rather than circulate through the air. The move was in response to the outbreak that started on Sept. 19.

There have been 60 staff members and 152 residents at the county-owned nursing home who have been sickened, according to acting interim administrator Abby Testa. About 92% of residents in the 408-bed facility are considered to be recovered from the virus, said solicitor Melissa Guiddy.

Six residents died.

The Pennsylvania National Guard helped with testing of residents and employees in late September for about two weeks. Commissioners Sean Kertes and Gina Cerilli said accepting the proposal from Siemens Industry was important to help keep residents and staffers safe.

An agreement approved by the board Tuesday with Complete Healthcare Resources - Eastern, Inc. will bring an administrative and coronavirus consultant to Westmoreland Manor for 90 days starting Tuesday. The agreement calls for a consultant to be paid $2,000 weekly.

An administrative change at the facility was made in October when then-assistant administrator Abby Testa took over from the previous administrator who worked for a Penn Township firm hired to operate it. Cerilli said the county will be putting out a request for proposals soon for a new management firm to start next year.