2 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Valley

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Mon Valley.

On Thursday, transportation contractor MV Transportation informed the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority that one of its drivers has tested positive for COVID-19.

The driver, who was not identified, last worked on April 6 on the Local 3 route, which operates between Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township, Donora, Monessen and Pricedale.

According to a release from the MMVTA, the driver continues to follow proper procedures for care. It is unclear if the person is being treated in a hospital setting.

Passengers who are concerned about potential exposure are asked to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and self-monitor for symptoms.

Anyone who begins to exhibits symptoms should contact their health care provider before going to an emergency room.

In an effort to protect employees and riders, the bus line has undergone extensive disinfecting and cleaning procedures for vehicles and common areas, installed plexiglass guards for drivers, put safe distance lines on buses and went to free fares until further notice.

On March 30, MMVTA also began a reduced schedule.

MMVTA also encourages riders to practice safe distancing on vehicles and to wear a facemask when traveling.

While public transportation is considered essential, the MMVTA is asking riders to only make trips when necessary.

Case reported in Charleroi

On Wednesday, Charleroi announced its first confirmed case on the borough’s Facebook page.

While borough officials say they take the spread of the virus seriously, they will only inform the public of confirmed cases by the CDC.

Council President Mark Alterici said this is the first confirmed case in Charleroi.

The person infected was not a resident of Charleroi and worked at an essential business in the borough not related to borough business or retail, Alterici said.

“There are a lot of rumors floating around, but we can only go off of what the CDC tells us,” Alterici said. “We are not permitted to give any further information per the advice of our solicitor.”

Alterici said the notification was not intended to cause panic.

“We want to keep people safe, and one way to do that is to keep people informed,” he said. “We want residents to understand any information coming from the borough has been substantiated. And as always, we are encouraging people to practice social distancing and take the proper precautions to protect themselves.”

“We are very concerned, but also do not want to cause panic and want people to be smart about what they do.”

Alterici said the borough continues to practice safety precautions for borough workers and first responders and communicated regularly with the CDC to do so.

“If and when there is another confirmed case by the CDC, we will keep our residents informed,” Alterici said. “Additionally, if any local business or companies have received word of a confirmed case, we are hoping they will communicate that information with the public to avoid the lag time in results from the state.”

Last week, North Charleroi confirmed a case of COVID-19 in the borough and on Friday, Donora confirmed that 47-year-old Devin Taquino passed away after a two-week battle with the virus.