West Newton police, street department closed after officer tests positive for covid-19

The West Newton police and street departments are shut down and employees are in quarantine after a part-time officer tested positive last week for covid-19.

Mayor Mary Popovich said Monday officials don’t believe there is a widespread outbreak of the virus in West Newton but borough officials decided to close both departments as a precaution while all eight police officers and three public works employees are tested.

“There is a very low chance of anyone else being infected, because we did the right thing,” Popovich said.

Officials were notified Saturday, June 6, that a part-time police officer tested positive for the coronavirus. That day, the borough’s police officers were sent home and directed to be tested. The decision to quarantine the town’s public works crew, which operates out of the same building as the police force, was made a day later.

A professional cleaning service was brought in last week to sanitize the municipal building and police vehicles, the mayor said.

Melissa Blake, 45, of West Newton, who was shopping at Giant Eagle Monday afternoon, said the borough was taking the right steps.

Speaking about the police and street departments being shut down, Blake said, “I feel safe whether they’re here or not. We have the surrounding communities” to help.

Jim Knopp, 71, of West Newton agreed, noting that people should stay home if they are exposed to the virus.

“Sooner or later, somebody’s going to get it,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t spread too much, it doesn’t concern me too much.”

Randy Sweep, 63, of Madison said he was not concerned there was a positive case close to home.

“I’m sure there are other asymptomatic people walking around and that we just don’t know it,” Sweep said. “So, is it surprising that one tested positive? Not at all.”

Borough offices had been closed since the end of March and it is unlikely other staff members were exposed, Popovich said. Council is scheduled to conduct a virtual meeting Monday night to discuss the borough’s response and potentially approve guidelines for reopening the municipal building.

According to statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there have been six confirmed coronavirus cases in West Newton since mid-March. The borough has about 2,800 residents. Westmoreland County has reported 461 cases over the same time.

Borough solicitor Samuel Dalfonso said the infected officer had not been in the municipal building for about two weeks before his positive test and state health officials conducted contact tracing to determine if anyone from the public or borough staff was exposed.

“Everybody was tested by this weekend, and, hopefully, the results will be back in a couple of days. We want to make sure anyone with possible exposure was notified,” Dalfonso said.

With police officers temporarily off the job, state police will handle all emergency calls. Dalfonso said that arrangement is not unusual as state police routinely step in to provide coverage when borough officers aren’t scheduled.

“We want to stop the spread and be aggressive and over-cautious to make sure police and public feel safe,” Popovich said.