Allegheny County to monitor businesses with virus compliance team
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
On the same day Allegheny County saw its new coronavirus case count dip below 100 for the first time in a week, the health department introduced a team that will check up on businesses to ensure its orders are being followed.
After four days of seeing new cases counts in the 100s, it dipped below that figure Wednesday with a new case count of 91.
Unfortunately, the good news came paired with the highest new death count the county has seen in some time as eight new fatalities were reported. The deaths occurred in patients aged 78 to 96 years old, between July 8 and July 19.
Allegheny County announced yesterday it created a 10-member COVID Field Response Team that will begin its work today.
The COVID Field Response Team will visit businesses in the community, check to see if establishments are following business safety precautions including the state’s universal masking order, recent orders regarding bars and restaurants, occupancy restrictions and physical distancing requirements.
There will be a checklist for team members to complete and give to managers at each business during visits. They will also give managers educational materials.
Business names, date of visits and copies of the checklists will be posted to the county’s website so the public can see which businesses are complying with the orders.
The site will be accessible through the county’s COVID-19 page at alleghenycounty.us/coronavirus and is active beginning today, but the first checklists likely won’t be published until tomorrow.
Team members will initially visit bars and restaurants identified through resident complaints made to the Allegheny County Health Department.
If a team member finds a bar or restaurant that is not following all of the required COVID-19 safety measures, the ACHD’s Food Safety Program will be notified.
A food safety inspector will be sent to do an inspection and any violations could potentially result in a facility being shut down.
Inspections will be posted on the ACHD website along with all other inspection reports.
At bars and restaurants, the teams will check for tables spaced far enough apart to allow for physical distancing, indoor occupancy capped at 25%, staff and customers wearing masks, no bar seating and no smoking, dine-in service ending at 11 p.m. and signs reminding customers of safety precautions.
Complaints regarding establishments that are violating the ACHD order can be sent to the through the Allegheny County Support Center webform or by calling the information center at 412-350-4636.
Cases
There have now been 103,396 cases of coronavirus in the state, which is an increase of 631 since Tuesday.
There were 25 new deaths in the state and have now been a total of 7,063 deaths.
Allegheny County has had a total of 6,670 cases, which represents an increase of 96 since Tuesday.
Allegheny County Health Department reported eight new deaths Wednesday, bringing its total to 217. The state health department reported three new deaths in the county Wednesday, bringing the total it is tracking to 214.
In Fayette County there have been 288 cases, which means there were nine new cases reported Wednesday. There have been no new fatalities, the number of deaths remains at four.
Washington County reported just 11 new cases, for a new total of 603. There were no new deaths reported in Washington County, and the total remains at 10 fatalities.
Westmoreland County reported 21 new cases Wednesday for a new total of 1,214 cases. There was one new death reported and the total is now 41 fatalities due to the virus according to the state health department. The total the county coroner also increased by one death, for a new total of 34.
