Pa. reports 758 new virus cases; Pittsburgh area adds 223

The Pennsylvania Health Department reported 758 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with the Pittsburgh region accounting for 223 of those latest infections.

The new statewide total is 117,279 cases since the pandemic started in March.

In Western Pennsylvania, Allegheny County reported the highest increase for Friday — with 97 new cases — followed by Westmoreland County with 15 new positive cases. The additional cases increased Allegheny’s total to 8,709. The county also on Friday reported eight new hospitalizations.

The newly reported cases in Allegheny come from 1,897 tests performed between July 14 and Aug. 6. Those who have tested positive range in age from 1 to 86, with a median age of 33. With the additional hospitalizations, there have now been 721 people hospitalized past and present with COVID-19 in Allegheny County, according to health officials.

Statewide there were an additional 15 deaths, nine of which occurred in Western Pennsylvania — Allegheny County had six, and Erie, Lawrence and Washington counties each reported one new death. The state death toll is now 7,297.

Allegheny’s six additional deaths mark the highest single-day increase in reported deaths since July 28, when the county reported seven deaths. The county’s death toll is 257 since the pandemic started in mid-March. Five of the new deaths were people in their 80s and one occurred in a person in their 90s. Four of these deaths are associated with long-term care facilities, health officials said. All six deaths occurred between Aug. 1 and Aug. 5.

Here is the total number of positive cases reported Friday in Western Pennsylvania:

• Allegheny: 8,709 (up 97 from Thursday)

• Armstrong: 204 (up 4)

• Beaver: 1,294 (up 14)

• Butler: 645 (up 8)

• Cambria: 328 (up 6)

• Clarion: 78 (up 1)

• Clearfield: 156 (up 6)

• Crawford: 139 (up 1)

• Erie: 1,058 (up 12)

• Fayette: 472 (up 7)

• Forest: 9 (no change)

• Greene: 112 (up 2)

• Indiana: 309 (up 12)

• Jefferson: 62 (up 1)

• Lawrence: 389 (up 6)

• Mercer: 404 (up 15)

• Somerset: 129 (up 2)

• Venango: 63 (no change)

• Washington: 821 (up 13)

• Westmoreland: 1,500 (up 16)

Here is the total number of deaths reported Friday in Western Pennsylvania:

• Allegheny: 257 (up 6 from Thursday; the state is reporting 244.)

• Armstrong: 6 (no change)

• Beaver: 91 (no change)

• Butler: 15 (no change)

• Cambria: 3 (no change)

• Clarion: 2 (no change)

• Clearfield: 0 (no change)

• Crawford: 1 (no change)

• Erie: 18 (up 1)

• Fayette: 5 (no change)

• Forest: 0 (no change)

• Greene: 1 (no change)

• Indiana: 6 (no change)

• Jefferson: 1 (no change)

• Lawrence: 15 (up 1)

• Mercer: 9 (no change)

• Somerset: 3 (no change)

• Venango: 0 (no change)

• Washington: 12 (up 1)

• Westmoreland: 46 (The Westmoreland County coroner, whose numbers were last updated Aug. 6, reports 43.)

Nursing and personal care homes

The state has released data — organized by county — about cases and deaths at nursing and personal care homes. Here’s information about Western Pennsylvania, based on Friday’s figures, with changes in deaths noted in parentheses:

• Allegheny: 87 facilities, 976 cases among residents, 336 cases among employees, 187 deaths (up 5)

• Beaver: 7 facilities, 479 cases among residents, 70 cases among employees, 92 deaths (up 2)

• Butler: 15 facilities, 25 cases among residents, 17 cases among employees, 3 deaths (no change)

• Erie: 18 facilities, 114 cases among residents, 95 cases among employees, 19 deaths (no change)

• Lawrence: 8 facilities, 47 cases among residents, 36 cases among employees, 7 deaths (up 2)

• Washington: 9 facilities, 29 cases among residents, 8 cases among employees, 2 deaths (no change)

• Westmoreland: 21 facilities, 188 cases among residents, 50 cases among employees, 31 deaths (no change)