State hits somber milestone, deaths total over 15,000

Another 203 Pennsylvanians have died of COVID-19 over the past two days, bringing the total to 15,086 since the pandemic began, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday.

The state also reported 3,779 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 4,884 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 613,804 in the commonwealth.

Allegheny County reported a two-day total of 594 new cases of COVID-19, a significant decrease attributed to limited availability of testing during the holiday weekend, the county Health Department said. An increase in new cases is anticipated in the coming weeks, following the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

The county’s positives came from 2,347 new PCR tests, with ages ranging from 1 month to 98 years. The vast majority of the positive tests were all from the past week, with only five dating back to as early as Dec. 18.

There also were four additional Allegheny County residents who died from the virus between Dec. 18 and Sunday, the department reported. Three of them were in their 70s, and the other person was older than 90. Two of those deaths were associated with long-term care facilities.

According to the state Health Department, the percentage of people who have recovered from the virus has increased to 64% over the past few weeks after a steady decline brought on by an explosion of new cases in November and early December.

Hospitals in Pennsylvania continue to face challenges from the influx of COVID-19 patients, with 5,905 people currently hospitalized, 1,145 of them in an intensive care unit and 747 on a ventilator.

Residents and staff at long-term care facilities were to begin receiving vaccines Monday, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said, part of the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine program.

Through the pharmacies CVS and Walgreens, 126 skilled nursing facilities will conduct inoculations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week. On Tuesday, the Department of Health will release an online dashboard with information on nursing home vaccinations.

“We are expecting that the vast majority of patients and staff will be opting in and receiving the vaccinations,” Dr. Levine said. Guardians will be able to consent to the vaccine on behalf of patients who cannot do so themselves, as is the case with other medical procedures.

The facilities in Allegheny County that will receive the vaccine this week are:

• Bridgeville Rehabilitation and Care Center in South Fayette.

• Caring Heights Community Care and Rehabilitation Center in Kennedy.

• Concordia at Rebecca Residence in West Deer.

• Harmar Village Care Center in Harmar.

• Jefferson Hills Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Jefferson Hills.

• ManorCare Health Services in Bethel Park.

• Meadowcrest Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Bethel Park.

• Platinum Ridge Center for Rehabilitation and Healing in Brackenridge.

The county- run Kane Community Living Center in Ross, which had avoided the brunt of the virus for much of the year, is now reporting that six of its residents died after contracting COVID-19. Seventeen residents there currently have the virus, according to the county.

Allegheny County officials are expected to give a press briefing on COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the Kane system Tuesday morning.

As of Monday, 72,762 health care workers had been vaccinated in the state as of Monday morning, Dr. Levine said. This week, 58 Pennsylvania hospitals will receive over 73,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

“What is still clear is this vaccination process will take some time,” Dr. Levine said at a virtual briefing. “And it’s particularly dependent upon how much vaccine we receive each week from the federal government.”

The state’s top health official continued to warn against small and large gatherings as New Year’s Eve approaches. “We must stay the course and continue to work together and stand united to stop the spread of COVID-19,” she said.