Western Pa. reports 303 new COVID cases
For the 13th straight day, Allegheny County on Sunday reported a triple-digit increase in new COVID19 cases and topped all Western Pennsylvania counties, which reported 303 new positive cases.
Allegheny said it had 200 new cases, ranging in age from 2 months to 95 years old, with a median age of 35. Behind Allegheny were Westmoreland and Washington counties with 19 and 17 new cases, respectively
Since the Allegheny County’s first case was reported on March 14, the county has had 4,962 cases.
No new deaths were reported in Western Pennsylvania. Allegheny’s death toll remained at 198.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Sunday said it had 725 new cases statewide, bringing that total to 95,414. An updated statewide death toll was unavailable, according to the health department. On Saturday, the state said it had 6,897 deaths.
It also announced Saturday that it issued an alert to health care providers about the COVID-19 virus infecting younger victims and reported 813 additional cases.
State officials said they issued the advisory because of “significant increases” in the number of cases involving people from 19 to 24 years old. Cases involving younger people across the state now outnumber cases for patients 50 and older, the department said in a news release.
“Specifically, these cases have been associated with travel to other affected parts of the country and social gatherings or social settings (e.g., parties, restaurants, bars),” the department’s alert said. “Additionally, the average age of patients with COVID-19 has been decreasing slightly, indicating an increase in the number of younger people being diagnosed with COVID-19.
“[The department] is asking that clinicians who are evaluating patients for
COVID-19 ask about recent travel (international and within the U.S.), attendance at social gatherings or social settings (e.g., parties, restaurants, bars), and occupation.”
Statistics provided by the department show cases among patients 19 to 24 have grown in the southwestern part of the state from just over 5% in April to just over 26% in July; from nearly 5% in April to nearly 16% in the southeast; from nearly 6% to more than 16% in the northeast; from 7% to more than 12% in the northwest; from nearly 8% to 12% in the north central; and from just over 7% to nearly 13% in the south central.
The new cases locally included eight new hospitalizations on 1,990 tests taken between June 26 and July 11.
Here are the total number of positive cases reported Sunday in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 4,962 (up 200 from Saturday)
• Armstrong: 86 (up 2)
• Beaver: 837 (up 14)
• Butler: 421 (up 11)
• Cambria: 136 (up 4)
• Clarion: 62 (up 2)
• Clearfield: 90 (up 5)
• Crawford: 77 (no change)
• Erie: 712 (up 5)
• Fayette: 196 (up 2)
• Forest: 7 (no change)
• Greene: 70 (up 3)
• Indiana: 150 (up 9)
• Jefferson: 37 (no change)
• Lawrence: 174 (up 3)
• Mercer: 169 (up 3)
• Somerset: 76 (up 3)
• Venango: 36 (up 1)
• Washington: 447 (up 17)
• Westmoreland: 994 (up 19)
Here are the total number of deaths reported Saturday (with the exception of Allegheny County,
Sunday’s figures were not available) in Western Pennsylvania:
• Allegheny: 198 (no change from Saturday. The state is reporting 195)
• Armstrong: 6 (no change)
• Beaver: 79 (no change)
• Butler: 13 (no change)
• Cambria: 3 (no change)
• Clarion: 2 (no change)
• Clearfield: 0 (no change)
• Crawford: 1 (no change)
• Erie: 13 (no change)
• Fayette: 4 (no change)
• Forest: 0 (no change)
• Greene: 0 (no change)
• Indiana: 6 (no change)
• Jefferson: 1 (no change)
• Lawrence: 9 (no change)
• Mercer: 6 (no change)
• Somerset: 1 (no change)
• Venango: 0 (no change)
• Washington: 6 (no change)
• Westmoreland: 39 (no change. The Westmoreland County coroner is reporting 33)