Pennsylvania up to 1,687 cases of coronavirus

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

The state Department of Health confirmed 560 additional positive cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania Thursday.

There is now a statewide total of 1,687 cases of COVID-19 in 48 counties. All sufferers are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital. 

The health department reported five new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 16. There have been three deaths in Northampton County, two each in Allegheny, Lackawanna, Monroe and Montgomery counties and one each in Butler, Delaware, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties.

There are 16,441 patients who have tested negative, according to Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who said that because commercial labs are the primary testing option for most Pennsylvanians, data is not available on the total number of tests pending.

“Our notable increase in cases over the past few days indicate we need everyone to take COVID-19 seriously,” Levine said. “Pennsylvanians have a very important job right now: stay calm, stay home and stay safe. 

“We have seen case counts continue to increase and the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home.”

Allegheny County Health Department chief epidemiologist Dr. LuAnn Brink said there have been 133 positive cases of COVID-19 reported in the county. Twenty of those people have been hospitalized and the majority of them are over 50 years old. 

Brink said nine of the residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis have also been diagnosed with pneumonia.

There have been 1,614 people tested so far in Allegheny County.

Brink shared data Thursday showing that two of the county residents who tested positive for COVID-19 were under 12 years old and three were between the ages of 13 and 18. 

Twenty-one county residents who tested positive are between 19 and 24 years old, and there have been 52 people between the ages of 25 and 49 who have tested positive. 

Brink said 37 of the positive cases reported in the county have impacted people in the 50 to 64 age group, and there have been 18 cases of county residents older than 65.

As of Thursday, the department of health is reporting 24 positive cases of COVID-19 Westmoreland County, 12 in Washington County and eight in Fayette County.

Gov. Tom Wolf has enacted stay-at-home orders for Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties.