Westmoreland judge, staff being tested for covid-19 after inmate tests positive

A Westmoreland County judge and four members of his courtroom staff will be tested this weekend for the coronavirus after they were potentially exposed this week through a jail inmate. The inmate’s positive diagnosis was disclosed Friday morning.

Court officials said the inmate had been in quarantine at the county jail since being transferred from the Fayette County lockup July 22.

Warden John Walton said the inmate, whose identity hasn’t been released, was tested for coronavirus this week as part of a new protocol installed at the jail in July for those newly booked into the facility.

With test results still pending, the inmate was taken to the courthouse Wednesday for a hearing before Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears. The inmate’s positive test result was returned later that afternoon and he was returned to Fayette County on Thursday, according to the warden.

Walton said the jail’s protocol did not preclude the inmate from being removed from quarantine to attend a hearing at the courthouse.

“We don’t stop anyone from going out to a hearing if they are quarantined or not,” Walton said Friday.

Court officials said no one at the courthouse was told that inmate was awaiting results from a coronavirus test.

Mears said neither he nor his staff is believed to be at great risk for the virus. They are not required to quarantine since none had direct contact with the inmate for 15 minutes, as prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state’s Department of Health. Still, Mears’ courtroom was closed on Friday to be cleaned and as a precaution he and his staff will be tested for the virus.

“Since we are scheduled for trials next week, everyone will be tested to assure the public we have negative results,” Mears said. “We were told we will have instant results. It’s obviously a concerning situation, and we take this seriously.”

Mears had about 30 hearings for guilty pleas and other matters on Wednesday, including several involving incarcerated inmates and two proceedings on Thursday. On Friday, Mears worked in another courtroom with his regular staff. On Monday, he is scheduled to preside over the first jury trial convened in the county since March.

New rules in place

President Judge Rita Hathaway said she issued a court order Friday to prohibit inmates under quarantine from being transferred to the courthouse. Hearings for inmates transferred from other county jails will be conducted remotely, she said.

“The warden has done an excellent job in running the prison and managing the spread of covid-19. We need to take as many precautions as we can. We are perfecting this a little better every day,” Hathaway said.

A morning email sent to all courthouse staff by the county’s human resources director, Amanda Bernard, said that a “non-county employee who was on county property this week tested positive for the covid-19 virus.” All employees who came into direct contract with that “member of the public” will work remotely or stay at home, she said.

Bernard confirmed that email was in response to the situation involving the inmate.

Officials earlier this week confirmed four county workers had been diagnosed with the virus in July, including two cases connected to the adult probation office and another employed by the children’s bureau. In addition, two other booked inmates in quarantine at the jail tested positive for coronavirus in July.

On Friday, officials reported a third employee at Westmoreland Manor was found to have contracted covid-19.