An image from the PA Department of Health lab in Exton.
Nearly 1,000 additional Pennsylvanians have tested positive for the coronavirus, the state Department of Health announced today.
In its daily update, the department said that 962 more residents are confirmed positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 49,267 since the pandemic began in early March.
This data is in line with a three-week trend, which has largely seen newly reported cases range from 1,000 to 1,500 each day. Overall, about 20 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.
Case numbers have tended to dip on Sundays and Mondays, which health Secretary Rachel Levine has attributed to less frequency of reporting to the department over weekends.
Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:
- Adams County: 145 cases (yesterday, 141)
- Cumberland County: 373 cases (yesterday, 365)
- Dauphin County: 634 cases (yesterday, 617)
- Franklin County: 351 cases (yesterday, 325)
- Lancaster County: 1,936 cases (yesterday, 1,904)
- Lebanon County: 735 cases (yesterday, 710)
- Perry County: 34 cases (yesterday, 33)
- York County: 679 cases (yesterday, 664)
“As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Levine said.
The commonwealth also reported an additional 26 deaths from the disease for the 24 hours ending at midnight. Since the pandemic began, 2,444 Pennsylvanians have now died due to COVID-19, according to the department.
Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now is as follows:
- Adams County: 4 deaths (yesterday, 4)
- Cumberland County: 18 deaths (yesterday, 17)
- Dauphin County: 28 deaths (yesterday, 25)
- Franklin County: 8 deaths (yesterday, 8)
- Lancaster County: 112 deaths (yesterday, 112)
- Lebanon County: 10 deaths (yesterday, 10)
- Perry County: 1 death (yesterday, 1)
- York County: 11 deaths (yesterday, 11)
Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 13,179 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 4,552 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 423 and 381, respectively.
Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Out of total deaths, 1,635, or almost 67 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.
In nursing and personal care homes, there are 9,122 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,194 cases among employees, for a total of 10,316 at 492 distinct facilities in 44 counties, according to the health department.
In addition, 3,031 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.
Statewide, 240,641 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 191,374 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 235,376 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 38 percent are aged 25-49
- Nearly 27 percent are aged 50-64
- Nearly 27 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 stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community,” Levine said. “If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”
For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.
