Order demands enforcement of yellow phase

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Washington County Courts have issued an order to all law enforcement agencies directing them to enforce Gov. Tom Wolf’s yellow phase guidelines.

Washington County President Judge Katherine Emery’s order, which was filed at the prothonotary Monday, designates Magisterial District Judge Jesse Pettit in McMurray as the “consolidated issuing authority” for such violations.

Pettit is now the authority for all matters “within the statutory designation of the magisterial district courts for violations” of the business closure orders or an order from the Department of Health.

The business closure guidance has changed as Washington County and other Mon Valley counties have moved into the yellow phase, but there are some businesses that have been ordered to remain closed.

Fines for violations of that law could range from $25 to $500.

According to state law, anyone who violates any order or regulation of the Department of Health, or who resists or interferes with DOH agents performing their duties, could face fines of $10 to $50. 

The order states that it also applies to any violation of any other order from the governor pertaining to the pandemic.

Emery directed Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone to serve a copy of the order on every law enforcement agency in the county.

The coronavirus case count dropped by one in Westmoreland County Tuesday as the state continues to reconcile its numbers.

Case and death counts by county have continued to fluctuate as officials drill into the data to find out if the county in which the individual got sick or died is the same as their legal county of residence.

Someone in a personal care home in Westmoreland County might have a legal residence in a different county. That data doesn’t come immediately, so counts can change as the DOH receives more information.

Cases

There have now been 63,666 cases of coronavirus in the state, including 610 new cases since Monday. There were 119 new deaths reported for a total of 4,624. 

Allegheny County now has 1,658 cases, an increase of 17 patients. According to the DOH, there were two new deaths reported and that total is 145. According to the Allegheny County Health Department, there was one new death and the total is 144.

In Fayette County, there was one new case for a total of 92. There have been four deaths.

Washington County saw its count reduced by three and one new death. Those totals are 130 and five respectively.

Westmoreland County saw its count reduced by one, so that total is 431. According to the DOH, there were no new deaths and that total is 38. Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha also reports no new deaths, and his total remains at 32.