State’s COVID-19 death toll passes 6,000

There were 61 new COVID-19 deaths reported Tuesday in Pennsylvania, pushing its total above the 6,000 mark, according to the latest data released by the state Department of Health.

The state reported one new death in Allegheny County and 63 new cases of the infectious disease in Western Pennsylvania. In Westmoreland County, the coroner, whose numbers differ from the state’s, said the county had a new death. The coroner is reporting 33 deaths while the state is reporting 38.

Allegheny County had 19 new cases. Since the first case of COVID19 was reported in the county on March 14, it has had 2,027 cases — 1,899 are confirmed and 128 are probable.

With the new death, Allegheny’s total is 169, the highest in the region.

Of that total, 157 are confirmed and 12 are probable.

Pennsylvania on Tuesday reported 493 new cases of COVID-19. The state has gone 30 consecutive days of reporting less than 1,000 cases. Its total number of cases is 76,436, and the total number of deaths is 6,014.

As summer approaches and the threat for severe weather grows, the Wolf administration is advising residents to begin reviewing their emergency plans and figure out how COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines will affect those plans.

Jeff Thomas, PEMA’s executive director, said storm systems often bring heavy rains, flooding and power outages into the state.

“The reality of COVID-19 will change the way people plan for emergencies, and the time to think about those changes is now, not in the middle of an emergency,” he said.

Emergency kits should include items now considered necessities in the age of COVID-19: cloth masks, hand sanitizer and other medication.

Here are the total number of positive cases reported Tuesday in Western Pennsylvania:

• Allegheny: 2,027 (up 19 from Monday)

• Armstrong: 65 (no change)

• Beaver: 608 (up 5)

• Butler: 249 (up 2)

• Cambria: 60 (up 1)

• Clarion: 29 (up 2)

• Clearfield: 48 (up 4)

• Crawford: 31 (up 1)

• Erie: 396 (up 18)

• Fayette: 95 (no change)

• Forest: 7 (no change)

• Greene: 28 (up 1)

• Indiana: 92 (no change)

• Jefferson: 16 (no change)

• Lawrence: 85 (no change)

• Mercer: 113 (up 2)

• Somerset: 39 (no change)

• Venango: 16 (up 1)

• Washington: 150 (up 1)

• Westmoreland: 467 (up 6) Here are the total number of deaths reported Tuesday in Western Pennsylvania:

• Allegheny: 169 (up 1)

• Armstrong: 5 (no change)

• Beaver: 74 (no change)

• Butler: 12 (no change)

• Cambria: 2 (no change)

• Clarion: 2 (no change)

• Clearfield: 0 (no change)

• Erie: 5 (no change)

• Fayette: 4 (no change)

• Forest: 0 (no change)

• Indiana: 5 (no change)

• Jefferson: 0 (no change)

• Lawrence: 8 (no change)

• Mercer: 6 (no change)

• Somerset: 1 (no change)

• Venango: 0 (no change)

• Washington: 6 (no change)

• Westmoreland: 38 (no change). The Westmoreland County Coroner is reporting 33 deaths.