By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Two more confirmed coronavirus deaths have been recorded at Pennsylvania run nursing homes for veterans and their spouses, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The two additional deaths come on top of 26 Covid-19 deaths at the Southeast Veterans Center previously reported by the Chester County Coroner's Office.
Joan Nissley, the spokeswoman for the state agency, said that a total of 45 residents of the homes have tested positive, including 17 who have died.
Nissley said that in addition to the new deaths, 36 employees at the six state run veterans homes have tested positive for the virus although 18 of them have recovered and returned to work.
The coroner's death totals are higher than those reported by the state because some of the deaths occurred after the nursing home patients had been transferred to other health care facilities.
The deaths have prompted calls for an investigation from Christina Vanderpol, the county coroner and state Sen Katie Muth.
State Auditor General Eugene Depasquale has called on the state agency to release more details on the deaths.
The deaths at a Pennsylvania veterans facility come as deadly outbreaks from the coronavirus have been reported in veterans nursing homes in several other states. In Massachusetts a state run veterans home in Holyoke has had 68 Covid-19 deaths. An additional 82 residents have tested positive for the virus.
Other state run veterans home hit hard by the virus include New Jersey, Washington state and Alabama.
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