Westmoreland County preps for vaccine distribution, which could begin Friday

Westmoreland County officials said Tuesday that plans have been formulated to vaccinate nursing home patients and staff and first responders once they are notified that doses are available to distribute locally.

Distribution of about 97,500 vaccine doses in Pennsylvania started this week, and the first could arrive in the county on Friday, according to Excela Health officials. Those doses are expected to go to front-line medical workers.

State health officials also identified nursing home residents and staff as among the first to be vaccinated. That includes about 2,000 potential recipients in Westmoreland, according to county Public Safety Director Roland Mertz.

Abby Testa, interim administrator at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield, said vaccinations at long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania are expected to begin Dec. 28.

“We’ve been speaking with residents and their families about their consent to be vaccinated,” Testa said. “We have clinic space available for when the vaccinations begin.”

She said about 700 residents and staffers would be eligible for vaccines. An early preliminary survey of the facility’s residents and staff so far identified only 130 people who said they are willing to be vaccinated.

“We will speak with residents and their families individually about their consent. We’re trying to get our residents and staff educated,” Testa said.

The 408-bed Manor has been among the hardest hit during pandemic. Since September, 152 residents contracted the coronavirus and seven have died from the illness. There have been no positive cases among residents reported since Nov. 23, but infections continue to hit the facility’s staff — including one employee who tested positive on Monday, Testa said. In all, 71 Manor employees have contracted the virus over the last three months.

Meanwhile, the county’s public safety department is coordinating plans to have about 3,000 first responders vaccinated once authorization is granted by the state Department of Health.

Mertz said he has received no updates from state officials about when police officers, firefighters, ambulance workers and 911 dispatchers will begin to receive vaccinations.

“I am trying to group them in as a priority,” Mertz said. “We need to prioritize first responders because the (virus) spread among them could affect our response. When you have to quarantine and isolate police and fire responders, normal public services are going to be delayed.”

Officials have planned for vaccinations and lists have been created among subsections of first responders as to who will be among the first to receive the limited doses when they become available.

“We don’t know if our plan will be used or not,” Mertz said.