State reports 579 new virus cases
Pennsylvania health officials Thursday reported 579 new cases of COVID-19 in the state and 39 more deaths due to the virus.
The latest figures bring the statewide total to 83,770 cases since the pandemic began in March.
Western Pennsylvania has 96 of those new cases, with Allegheny County having the highest daily increase with 37 and Westmoreland County the second highest with 15 new cases.
Of the 20 counties in Western Pennsylvania, 13 of them have reported an increase in cases, according to data from the state.
It’s the third day this week Allegheny County has reported an increase of over 20 new cases in one day. With the additional cases, the new county total is 2,321 cases, of which 2,181 are confirmed and 140 are probable, according to the latest figures.
Statewide, there were 39 new deaths — a decline from Wednesday’s report of 54 new deaths — bringing the total death toll statewide to 6,557.
According to Thursday’s figures released by the state, there were only two deaths in Western Pennsylvania, both in Allegheny County. State figures say the death toll in the county is 182, while county data is reporting zero new deaths, keeping the total at 184.
Dr. Debra Bogen, director of Allegheny County’s health department, attributes the rise in cases this week to the area entering the green phase of the state’s reopening plan, with more people leaving their houses and an increase in travel outside the county.
The county has not seen any specific hot spots where multiple people have reported contracting the illness, said Dr. Bogen in a news conference on Wednesday.
Hospitalizations in the county have also gone up, with six more COVID-19 patients needing hospital care. The total is now 378 hospitalizations past and present. Dr. Bogen said she expects the number of hospitalizations to continue to rise, as they lag about a week behind the cases.
Of those hospitalized, 147 were in intensive care units, and 72 required mechanical ventilation.
Here are the total number of positive cases reported Thursday in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 2,321 (up 37 from Wednesday)
• Armstrong: 70 (no change)
• Beaver: 637 (up 3)
• Butler: 280 (up 3)
• Cambria: 64 (up 2)
• Clarion: 33 (no change)
• Clearfield: 71 (up 1)
• Crawford: 50 (up 2)
• Erie: 559 (up 8)
• Fayette: 104 (no change)
• Forest: 7 (no change)
• Greene: 35 (no change)
• Indiana: 101 (up 3)
• Jefferson: 21 (no change)
• Lawrence: 99 (up 5)
• Mercer: 126 (up 6)
• Somerset: 52 (up 3)
• Venango: 17 (no change)
• Washington: 184 (up 8)
• Westmoreland: 578 (up 15)
Here are the total number of deaths reported
Thursday in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 182 (The county is reporting 184)
• Armstrong: 6
• Beaver: 78
• Butler: 13
• Cambria: 3
• Clarion: 2
• Clearfield: 0
• Crawford: 0
• Erie: 9
• Fayette: 4
• Forest: 0
• Greene: 0
• Indiana: 6
• Jefferson: 1
• Lawrence: 9
• Mercer: 6
• Somerset: 1
• Venango: 0
• Washington: 6
• Westmoreland: 38 (The county coroner is reporting 32.)
For additional information on Allegheny County data, visit the Allegheny County’s COVID-19 Dashboard. More information on statewide results can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.