Allegheny County reports 3 new virus deaths
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday the number of COVID-19 cases continues to remain low, although Mr. Fitzgerald urged residents to remember that despite being in the green reopening phase, “we are still in a pandemic.”
The number of new cases and new hospitalizations have both decreased and the county’s positivity rate for testing has been near 2 or 3% for the past few weeks, they reported during a news conference.
The county reported three new deaths on Wednesday and seven new cases.
The health department on Wednesday released data on 253 cases it investigated between May 21 and June 3.
In that investigation the department has found that 12% of those cases were among health care workers, with one-third of them working in long-term care facilities. The department also found that 26% of positive COVID cases in that time frame were residents in long-term care facilities; that number is down from 40% in the beginning of May.
Dr. Bogen also noted that because of the 14-day incubation period of the virus, it is too soon to know if the primary election and civil rights demonstrations in the county could cause a spike in positive cases.
Also on Wednesday, the
administration of Gov. Tom Wolf issued new guidance on outdoor recreation, saying businesses that offer mountain biking, outdoor mini golf, go carts, rock climbing, paintball, horse riding, tennis, archery or shooting, and similar activities can resume operation with restrictions. Those businesses must keep their indoor spaces offlimits to the public except for restrooms, ticketing and entry. They must also prevent customers from congregating at entry gates, kiosks and concession stands, officials said.
Pennsylvania reported 48 new deaths, with the three in Allegheny County the only ones in Western Pennsylvania.
With the new deaths, Allegheny’s total is 172, the highest in the region. Of that total, 160 are confirmed and 12 are probable.
The seven new cases bring its total to 2,034 — 1,904 confirmed and 130 probable.
The state’s death toll has reached 6,062. With 410 new positive cases, the state has gone 30 consecutive days of reporting less than 1,000 cases. As of Wednesday, its total number of cases is 76,846.
Here are the total number of positive cases reported Wednesday in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 2,034 (up 7 from Tuesday)
• Armstrong: 65 (no change)
• Beaver: 610 (up 2)
• Butler: 250 (up 1)
• Cambria: 60 (no change)
• Clarion: 30 (up 1)
• Clearfield: 48 (no change)
• Crawford: 31 (no change)
• Erie: 408 (up 12)
• Fayette: 95 (no change)
• Forest: 7 (no change)
• Greene: 28 (up 1)
• Indiana: 92 (no change)
• Jefferson: 16 (no change)
• Lawrence: 87 (up 2)
• Mercer: 114 (up 1)
• Somerset: 39 (no
change)
• Venango: 16 (no change)
• Washington: 151 (up 1)
• Westmoreland: 473 (up 6)
Here are the total number of deaths reported Wednesday in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 172 (up 3 from Tuesday). The state is reporting 170 deaths (no change).
• Armstrong: 5 (no change from Monday)
• 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 32 deaths.