Resident of Loyalhanna Care Center tests positive for coronavirus

A woman who is a long-term resident of the Loyalhanna Care Center in Derry Township is among the Westmoreland County residents who have tested positive for covid-19.

Kelly Pynos, administrator of the skilled nursing facility, said the woman exhibited symptoms on Monday and was transferred to a local hospital. Pynos received word Tuesday afternoon that the woman had tested positive for the virus. As of early Tuesday evening, she said, none of the other 99 residents had displayed symptoms consistent with coronavirus infection.

Residents are having their temperatures taken three times daily. Anyone who exhibits symptoms will be confined to their room.

She said the facility has been following no-visitation guidelines since March 13. Staff members have been encouraged to change clothes when they enter and when they leave the building, she said.

Westmoreland County has 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the most recent figures available from the state Department of Health. Two of those are a Hempfield couple who recently returned from a cruise.

Pennsylvania recorded 276 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 1,127 amid a pandemic that has resulted in Gov. Tom Wolf ordering sweeping closures for schools and some businesses. Several counties, including Allegheny, have been placed under stay-at-home orders.

In Allegheny County, 88 cases have been confirmed, according to the most recent figures from the county Health Department. Two people have died.

Westmoreland County officials have expressed frustration that specific information about the cases is not being disseminated by the state Health Department. That information could help alert emergency responders to a potential hot spot and predict where shortages might soon exist in personal protection equipment.

Staff writer Renatta Signorini contributed.