Coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania rose to 89,000 with 667 new cases reported on Friday.
A quarter of the new cases were in Allegheny County, which has seen an increase of 808 cases in the past week. Pennsylvania saw the most new cases, 832, on a day since May on Thursday.
The state’s COVID-19 case count is now 88,741, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department daily report. Thirty-four more deaths were reported, bringing the number of deaths to 6,746.
The health department is weighing steps to mitigate the sharp increase in cases, which can be traced back to community spread and localized outbreaks, not increased evidence.
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As we dive into the holiday weekend of July 4, Governor Tom Wolf’s administration is reminding residents to wear masks in all public places and avoid large holiday gatherings.
“Pennsylvania has been a model for the country on how to effectively reopen using a careful and measured approach,” said Secretary of State for Health, Dr. Rachel Levine. “However, the virus has not disappeared and we are seeing cases increase, especially in southwestern Pennsylvania.”
These are your Pennsylvania coronavirus updates for July 3, 2020.
Pa. Coronavirus outbreak
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New state cases have been on the rise since the middle of the month. Authorities have said the increase may be related to young people who gather in bars and restaurants that have just reopened.
The outbreak is so far focused on the southwestern region of the state, and Pittsburgh’s Allegheny County has only reported 399 new cases in the past two days, according to state figures.
This prompted the county health department to order the closing of a week of bars, restaurants and casinos and the cancellation of activities or events of 25 or more people to stop the spread of new cases. The order went into effect at 12:01 am Friday.
Dr. Debra L. Bogen, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, also suggested a voluntary measure of staying home for Allegheny County residents.
For comparison, Philadelphia added 161 cases in the past 48 hours.
The Philadelphia Department of Health this week halted its own reopening of the green phase. The city plans to keep restaurants closed in restaurants and gyms closed until at least August 1.
Starting today, you can resume museums and libraries, indoor shopping malls, and small indoor and outdoor gatherings. Casinos can open with strict restrictions. City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said data shows 99 teens tested positive the week of June 14, more than doubling in the past two weeks, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Farley said many of the cases date back to people heading to beach houses on the Jersey shore, hitting bars, restaurants and house parties.
Pennsylvania now advises that anyone traveling to 14 states, including hot spots in Arizona, Florida and the Carolinas, remain in quarantine for 14 days after they return home. New Jersey issued a similar notice, but no one has addressed the crowds of people who flock to the shore every weekend.
Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley
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Lehigh Valley, Lehigh and Northampton Counties combined, had 29 new cases and four deaths in the last day, with a local total of 7,750 cases and 579 deaths. Lehigh Valley’s average case rates have been in their teens or twenties for over a month.
The state department of health estimates that 78% of Pennsylvania coronavirus patients have recovered. To date, 715,403 tests have been negative.
Testing has increased across the state. The 13,871 tests reported are the second-highest total in a day in Pennsylvania. Over the past week, Pennsylvania averaged about 12,150 tests per day statewide, roughly double the test rate when the number of daily cases peaked in April, as the tests are conducted on people without symptoms and in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, where residents account for approximately 20% of Pennsylvania cases and 68% of COVID-19 deaths.
The health department told lehighvalleylive.com that the most recent spike in cases is not just due to testing. They are mainly from the virus that spreads in the community.
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Gracedale COVID-19 test results are in
The state health department ordered universal testing of all long-term care facilities by July 24.
Northampton County conducted a testing program at the county-owned nursing home last weekend with the help of the National Guard.
The Upper Nazareth Township facility has been severely affected by the virus. Seventy-four residents have died from COVID-19.
In the test event, 296 residents were evaluated and three tested positive. A total of 425 residents were evaluated before the universal test and 143 were positive.
Currently, six residents are positive for the virus, 12 are awaiting laboratory results. And 162 have recovered, according to a county press release.
A total of 568 employees have been evaluated with 57 positives. Six were detected during the universal test. Ten samples were rejected or inconclusive and four results are pending. Fifty employees are back at work and six are in quarantine.
“The best thing the general public can do for Gracedale during these dangerous times for nursing home residents is to wear a mask,” said Lamont McClure County Executive.
Wear a mask
Facial covers are now required in all public places in Pennsylvania, under an order expanded Wednesday by Wolf and Levine.
“Especially when we start a long weekend on July 4, it is critical that everyone remembers that masks are mandatory and should be worn when leaving your home,” Wolf said Friday. “This virus is not gone, and wearing masks is a required mitigation effort that we know works to stop its spread.”
If you go out to celebrate Independence Day. Keep your distance, avoid large crowds, and of course bring your mask.
Here are the details of the mask order:
- When you are outdoors and cannot consistently keep six feet away from someone who is not an immediate member of the household.
- Any indoor location that is generally accessible to the public.
- While waiting for or using any public transportation or shared transportation services.
- When you are seen in a health care facility such as a hospital, pharmacy, doctor’s office, vet office, or blood bank.
- While working, when interacting with clients or coworkers, he prepares food, in common areas or in any space where people cannot distance themselves.
There are a few exceptions, such as for those who have medical conditions or whose work would be hindered by wearing a mask. But the governor’s office says that anyone who is unsure whether their situation requires a mask should be cautious and put one on.
Cloth facial coatings may not protect the person wearing them, but they will protect others by catching the droplets that can potentially carry the coronavirus, according to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also says “a significant portion of people with COVID-19 are symptom free. ” “
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Sara K. Satullo can be contacted at [email protected].
