Pa. Coronavirus update: Almost 86K cases with 6,614 deaths. Reopening of Lehigh Valley businesses and locations. How contact tracking works. The | Pa. COVID-19 county case map (06/29/20)

UPDATE (6/30): Pa. Coronavirus cases hit 86K; Wind Creek reopens; green phase party held in Easton

As coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania approach 86,000, almost the entire state is now under the green phase of reopening. But life has not returned to normal: more testing and contact tracing are underway and, at least in one major city, an increase in cases means new restrictions are being imposed.

As of Monday, coronavirus cases across the state totaled 85,988 with 6,614 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic first came to Pennsylvania in early March, according to daily data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

(Can’t see the map? Click here.)

Meanwhile, businesses in the Lehigh Valley, new to the green phase, are reopening, albeit with some restrictions, like the nearby Pocono Raceway, which held a NASCAR race last weekend with no fans. Elsewhere, Pittsburgh is halting alcohol consumption in bars and restaurants after an increase in the case. And contact tracking is underway across the state.

These are your Pennsylvania coronavirus updates for June 29, 2020.

Coronavirus in Pa.

Coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania increased by 492 in the health department report Monday. 35 deaths and 1,618 new cases have been reported since Friday.

Coronavirus cases in the US have increased to record daily numbers as some states reopen. Pennsylvania’s case rate has increased for several days, but much more modestly compared to others that have seen spikes in cases.

(Can’t see the graph? Click here.)

The health department has said the increasing rate of new cases in the past week is due, at least in part, to an increase in patients who have previously shown no symptoms and to a mandatory testing program in state nursing homes.

(Can’t see the graph? Click here.)

In Pennsylvania, the majority of hospitalizations and deaths have been in residents over the age of 65, according to state data. Long-term care facility residents account for 17,697 cases of COVID-19, about 21% of the state’s total, and 4,531 deaths, 68% of the death toll in Pennsylvania.

The health department estimates that 78% of Pennsylvania residents have so far recovered from the coronavirus. To date, 666,901 tests have been negative.

(Can’t see the graph? Click here.)

Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley

As of Monday, the Lehigh Valley totaled 7,627 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic and at least 560 deaths, according to state figures. That breaks down into:

• 4,220 cases and 294 deaths in Lehigh County.
• 3,407 cases and 266 deaths in Northampton County.

(Can’t see the map? Click here.)

Counties themselves have reported that the average age of those killed by COVID-19 is greater than 80 years.

During the duration of the pandemic, the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties have seen some of the highest coronavirus case densities in Pennsylvania.

(Can’t you see the table? Click here.)

Green phase reopening (and regression)

Lehigh Valley joined most of the rest of Pennsylvania in the green phase of reopening on Friday. That means companies that include lounges, bars, and entertainment venues can reopen, though masks are still required and capacity limits are set.

Among some of the bigger places locally, places like the ArtsQuest campus and several shopping malls have reopened. The Lehigh Valley Zoo is targeting an opening date of July 1. The Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem opened on Monday morning.

Dorney Park will open for season pass holders on July 8 and for everyone else on July 11. At the regional level, Knoebels Amusement Resort will open on July 1. Pocono Raceway hosted a NASCAR double title over the weekend, but with no fans.

It is important to note that even in green phase counties, masks and social distancing are still essential. In Pittsburgh, which entered the green phase on June 5, on-site alcohol consumption in bars and restaurants will be discontinued starting at 5 pm on Tuesday due, according to the Associated Press, to “an alarming increase in infections, in much of it among younger people. “

Likewise, in New Jersey, a plan to reintroduce indoor food this week halted indefinitely on Monday after recent scenes from open-air bars and restaurants showing crowded crowds who don’t wear masks and ignore social estrangement.

Track contacts

Contact tracing is the process of locating people infected with COVID-19, identifying and alerting your close contacts, and then asking them to be quarantined. Health officials say it can make the difference between a handful of new infections, or hundreds.

In the worst case scenario, public health experts estimate that Pennsylvania may need up to 4,000 contact trackers. With current low case counts in Pennsylvania, the state requires about 600 tracers and has about 500. The state’s plan involves municipal and county health departments working with volunteers, nonprofits, and hospital systems , but the process is still taking shape.

More than 800 people have volunteered to track contracts through the ServPA platform.

SEE MORE: What is the status of COVID-19 contact tracking in the Lehigh Valley? We realized.

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Steve Novak can be contacted at [email protected].