BEAVER, Pa. (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Nursing homes have been hit hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic, with high numbers of cases and fatalities.
The most disturbing example locally is in Beaver County, where 13 ore deaths have been reported at the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.
A story in the Post-Gazette says that 52 residents have died.
Just over half of the 460 residents have tested positive for coronavirus.
Brighton is the fourth-largest nursing home in Pennsylvania.
John Pfugh tells KDKA Radio's Marty Griffin that his parents are both at Brighton temporarily after his father fell and his mother's kidney disease worsened.
"I got the double whammy last night, they called me, let me know that both my parents tested positive.
He adds he is waiting for his own test results because he visited Brighton almost daily before visits were stopped during the pandemic.
As of Tuesday there are a total of 43,264 cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth with 1,716 deaths.
1,089 of those deaths are in nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the commonwealth, 627 outside of those facilities.
Nursing and personal care homes have confirmed 7,360 cases in residents and 920 in employees between 452 facilities.
In addition, a woman has filed a class-action lawsuit against the PA Department of health claiming a lack of oversight in experimental drug treatment at the center.
Jodi Gill claims she was pressured by Brighton to sign a release to allow the experimental treatment to be used on her father.
She adds if the Department of health inspected the facility more frequently, the treatment would not have been approved.
___Listen to KDKA Radio on the RADIO.COM AppTell your smart speaker to "play News Radio 10 20 KDKA"Receive email updates from KDKA RadioFollow KDKA Radio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
