Coronavirus deaths rise with addition of probable deaths
HARRISBURG » Coronavirus-associated deaths are now up to 1,112 in Pennsylvania, state health officials said Sunday, adding 276 new deaths because electronic and probablecause deaths are now being reported.
Dr Rachel Levine, the commonwealth’s health secretary, said the updated numbers are part of the department’s efforts to reconcile data provided by hospitals, health care systems, county and municipal health departments and long-term care living facilities with the department’s own records of births and deaths.
“The majority of these deaths did not occur overnight,” Levine said, adding later that 148 of them occurred during the last week.
There have been at least 1,200 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total above 32,200, Levine said.
Levine emphasized that the department was basing decisions on trends in the data indicating the effectiveness of social distancing and other mitigation efforts ordered by the governor.
“Our trends are showing that Pennsylvanians’ sacrifice to stay at home is working,” Levine said.
Out of the total deaths, 462 have occurred in residents from nursing homes or personal care facilities, the department said. There were 4,450 resident cases of COVID-19 and
479 cases among employees at 368 facilities in 35 counties, officials said.
Seniors, particularly those in long-term care facilities, are most at risk from the coronavirus, Levine said.
“Long-term care living facilities, which include but are not exclusive to nursing homes and personal care homes, are a particularly vulnerable place; once a case of
COVID19 is diagnosed there, it’s very hard to prevent its spread,” Levine said.
Many people in such facilities have other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, lung and kidney diseases. “Those are by far the individuals most at risk from contracting COVID-19 and from having severe effects from COVID-19,” Levine said.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
• The unparalleled decision a month ago to close the state-owned stores that sell nearly all of Pennsylvania’s liquor and much of its wine prompted some people to drive across state lines to stock up, risking a misdemeanor charge.