Federal and state authorities raided a couple of Pennsylvania nursing homes on Thursday to inspect a vast coronavirus flare-up that has killed dozens of staff members and residents at the facilities and sickened hundreds more.
What We Know:
- Pittsburgh reports state that officials have grabbed hold of evidence from the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and the Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, both of which are located outside.
- Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said that the raids that were carried-out were due to court-ordered federal search warrants.
- The search warrant at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, situated in the northeast of Pittsburgh, was conducted at around 8 a.m. by Federal Bureau Investigators, Health and Human Services, state attorney’s general office, and other agencies.
- According to WPXI, about more than 300 residents at Brighton have tested positive for COVID-19 since the global pandemic first emerged, including 88 residents who have died.
- Brighton’s outbreak is one of the most severe flare-ups in Pennsylvania, where at least more than 142,000 people have been infected with this virus statewide.
- According to CBS Pittsburgh, The police chief in Brighton Township has mentioned he no longer lets officers respond there in person. Officers were instructed to take any complaints by phone from Brighton, and the National Guard has been called in to perform housekeeping.
- Another center managed and owned by the same company, Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, was also in the middle of an FBI raid early Thursday morning. U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania’s Western District, Scott Brady, confirmed the raid yet, no further details were released.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro stated the facility was under investigation over records of “deeply troubling” environment and habits. Shapiro had tweeted at the time that he can confirm that Brighton is one of the subject matter of the criminal investigations leading into neglect at nursing homes during this pandemic.
