The state Department of Health’s lab in Exton, Pa.
Nearly 1,300 Pennsylvanians have been newly diagnosed with COVID-19, and the Department of Health today also reported 19 additional fatalities from the disease.
The department stated there were 1,295 newly diagnosed cases as of midnight, bringing the total to 56,611 cases since the pandemic began in early March. Many of the new cases—406—are in residents of nursing homes.
Overall, about 20 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.
Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:
- Adams County: 159 cases (yesterday, 156)
- Cumberland County: 434 cases (yesterday, 425)
- Dauphin County: 823 cases (yesterday, 797)
- Franklin County: 493 cases (yesterday, 478)
- Lancaster County: 2,223 cases (yesterday, 2,185)
- Lebanon County: 811 cases (yesterday, 805)
- Perry County: 35 cases (yesterday, 34)
- York County: 773 cases (yesterday, 767)
Newly diagnosed cases peaked in the state in early April at nearly 2,000 positive cases. For nearly a month, new daily cases have hovered around 1,000.
The health department today also reported an additional 19 COVID-19-related fatalities, meaning that 3,707 Pennsylvanians now have died from the disease. The majority of new fatalities—11—were residents of nursing homes.
Health Secretary Rachel Levine has stated previously that data reported on weekends may be lower due to less reporting to her department. In addition, daily fatality data has been very uneven, swinging up and down due to reporting delays and conflicting information that has to be resolved.
Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:
- Adams County: 5 deaths (yesterday, 5)
- Cumberland County: 33 deaths (yesterday, 33)
- Dauphin County: 36 deaths (yesterday, 36)
- Franklin County: 12 deaths (yesterday, 12)
- Lancaster County: 166 deaths (yesterday, 166)
- Lebanon County: 16 deaths (yesterday, 16)
- Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
- York County: 13 deaths (yesterday, 13)
Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 14,883 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 5,260 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 857 and 525, respectively.
“As we prepare to move a number of counties from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Levine said.
This coming week, the state plans to move 13 counties in the southwest portion of the state into the yellow phase, joining 24 counties in the northwest and north-central parts of PA that moved to yellow last week.
Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 2,529, or 68.2 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.
In nursing and personal care homes, there are 11,645 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,645 cases among employees, for a total of 13,290 at 539 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.
In addition, 3,759 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.
Statewide, 284,383 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 227,772 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 277,107 people had been tested for the virus.
Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:
- Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
- Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
- 1 percent are aged 13-18
- Nearly 6 percent are aged 19-24
- Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
- 26 percent are aged 50-64
- 28 percent are aged 65 or older.
Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.
Levine continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
- Clean surfaces frequently.
- Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
“We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders,” Levine said. “I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”
For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.
