Covid-19 Continues to Hit PA Veterans Homes

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Cases of the coronavirus have continued to hit Pennsylvania's six veterans homes with 119 new cases reported since early January.
Data provided by the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shows that the number of Covid-19 deaths in the six facilities has also increased with the total jumping by 10 to 109 in the same period.
Nine of those new deaths were at the Gino Merli Veterans Center in Scranton while there was one additional death at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie.
There were no new deaths at the Southeastern Veterans Center in Chester County, but that facility already had the highest number of deaths at 42.
Eighteen deaths rom the virus have ocurred at the Delaware Veterans Center in Philadelphia while 17 deaths from the virus have been reported at the Hollidaysburg Veterans Center.
Nineteen Covid deaths were reported at the Erie home while three were reported at the Southwestern Veterans Center in Pittsburgh.
The biggest increase in new cases of coronavirus among residents was reported at Hollidaysburg where 71 new cases were reported since January. The second highest number of new cases during the one month period was at the Scranton home where 44 residents contracted the virus during that same one month period.
Data from the state agency shows the cases of coronavirus among staff at the six homes also have increased from 402 in January to 486 this month.
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