Potential Exposure to COVID-19 at Church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh

All Precautionary Measures Being Taken
 
A parishioner who attended evening Mass at St. Januarius in Plum on Monday, June 22, 2020, is being tested for COVID-19 after a relative tested positive for the virus.
 
Mass attendees are being notified of the potential exposure and being advised to follow CDC guidelines while they wait to hear the test results.
 
Out of an abundance of caution, and in compliance with health and safety guidelines, the priest who celebrated that Mass is following voluntary quarantine procedures pending the test results.
 
“We’ve been following everything from health officials.  We’ve taken every precaution to keep people safe, but this is a dangerous virus,” said Father Kevin Poecking, pastor of the churches of Oakmont, Plum and Verona.  “If we have to shut down, it will give us more time to pray for our families and the community.”
 
The St. Januarius church building has not been used since the Monday evening Mass, and will not be used again until Sunday morning.  In accordance with CDC guidelines, and diocesan directives, the building is being cleaned and sanitized.