Letter to the editor: Coronor's office covid-19 records
It is state statute that requires covid-19 cases be reported to the coroner of the county where the death occurs (1218-B Coroner’s Investigation: (7) A death known or suspected to be due to contagious disease and constituting a public hazard).
In most cases, jurisdiction would be released to the attending physician to properly certify the death, per the current protocols mandated by the state. This information is easily viewable on our website at www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/DocumentCenter and at the Pennsylvania Coroners Association website at http://pacoroners.org/Laws.php#1201-B. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office will continue to be diligent and transparent in the accurate record keeping of covid-19 deaths. We will maintain a “live time” total on the front page of our county website at www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/290/Coroner.
Joshua C. Zappone
Hempfield
The writer is a deputy coroner in the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office.
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