State reports 11,972 more COVID-19 cases on Thursday

Hospital admissions in Northeast decrease for first time in four days

HARRISBURG — The state reported 11,972 more cases and 248 more deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday as hospital admissions for COVID-19 decreased in the Northeast region — which includes the Lehigh Valley — for the first time in at least four days.

The newly reported cases included 371 in Lehigh County and 413 in Northampton County, and seven new deaths were reported in Le high and four in Northampton.

Early Thursday afternoon, updated state data showed hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the Northeast region decreased by 2.5% in the preceding 48 hours, the first decline in at least four days.

The figure is one of three metrics used by the state to gauge severity of COVID19 pressure on hospitals. On Monday through Wednesday of this week, coronavirus admissions at the region’ s hospitals were increased by 1.4%, 8.9% and 3.9%, respectively.

The other two metrics are anticipated staffing shortages and inadequate beds. When two of the three metrics reach pre-established thresholds in a region, hospitals will be ordered to reduce elective procedures.

As of early Thursday afternoon, the Northeast region had not reached the threshold in any of the three metrics.

But in two other parts of the state, the Southwest and South-Central, one threshold was surpassed with more than 33% of hospitals in both of those regions anticipating staffing shortages within the next week.

At noon, there were 5,877 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state — the highest number of the pandemic — with 1,218 in intensive care and 675 on ventilators.

The 5,877 hospitalized figure represented a slight increase from the 5,852 hospitalized a day earlier.

Total cases statewide are 457,289. Total deaths statewide are 12,010.

The number of people being tested is far greater than earlier in the pandemic. For example, the state reported 77,688 tests for Dec. 4, while six months earlier — on June 4 — it reported 10,171 tests.

Gov. Tom Wolf said early Wednesday afternoon that he had tested positive for the virus and was isolating at home.

His wife, Frances, has tested negative. Republican state Rep. Barry Jozwiakof Berks County on Wednesday announced he tested positive. And independent Sen. John Yudichak of Luzerne County announced Thursday morning he had tested positive after experiencing coldlike symptoms.

The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 10,065 on Thursday, compared to 7,226 a week ago.