Allegheny Township personal care home hit with unknown number of covid-19 cases

An outbreak of covid-19 cases has been reported for the Pleasant Ridge Mature Living personal care home in Allegheny Township, although authorities aren’t releasing the number of cases or if there have been any deaths.

At least not yet.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health plans to start releasing Monday the much sought-after data on covid-19 cases and deaths at specific long-term health facilities, including nursing homes and personal care homes.

Currently, the state health deparment releases data on long-term care resident cases and deaths from covid-19 only by county. State and health officials have stated such detailed information involves balancing patient privacy and the public’s right to know.

Locally, people want to know.

“With naming the facilities with the cases the public — especially those with friends and relatives there — need to know that, if they want to pull them out,” said Ken Bacha, Westmoreland County coroner. “We’ve had a number of calls from people asking, ‘Is that place safe for mother to be there?’ ”

Pleasant Ridge Mature Living tested all of its residents and found a “number of residents that tested positive,” according to a statement from the facility’s owner, Craig Anlauf, sent to the Tribune-Review.

There were about 53 residents and about 75 daily staff members at the Allegheny Township personal care home, according to a Dec. 5, 2019, state Department of Human Services report.

Anlauf declined to provide the case numbers, deferring to the health department’s release of the information.

“We are in constant communication with the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services and Area Office of Aging,” he said. “We are and have been following guidelines from the CDC and DOH.”

He added the state health department, Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County public safety and ERCI Infection Prevention Consultants have provided Pleasant Ridge with personal protection equipment and guidance.

The Allegheny Township supervisors characterize the cases as an “outbreak,” which came up during their meeting last Monday.

“Supervisors discussed this and are concerned,” Supervisor Ren Steele said. “We don’t know the numbers.”

Township Emergency Management Coordinator Lee Schumaker said the municipality assisted Pleasant Ridge with its covid-19 cases. He declined to provide details because “it’s related to a medical issue.”

However, Schumaker did commend the Westmoreland Department of Public Safety with providing personal protection equipment to the township’s first responders including face masks, gloves, face shields and aprons.

The Westmoreland Department of Public Safety also declined to provide details on the Pleasant Ridge covid-19 cases as did the state health department.