State officials: 1 reported case of COVID-19 in a facility is considered an outbreak

HARRISBURG — The majority of long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania are strictly following existing policies for COVID-19, but the virus hit some harder than others. State officials said they will now consider one reported case of coronavirus in a facility an outbreak.

Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness in Beaver County was the hardest hit nursing home in the state and the National Guard was called in to help keep people safe.

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Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the state is seeing a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"We’ve implemented recommendations from the Auditor General and are in the process of rewriting regulations based on a report from the Nursing Home Task Force and, that’s why we’ve enforced our existing policies,” Dr. Rachel Levine said.

State resources available to nursing homes include working with infection control teams or deploying National Guard strike teams. Officials said the state has been working with local agencies in areas that are moving into the green phase to ensure seniors are getting medications, food and social interaction to stay healthy.

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