VIRUS HANGING ON

Four new COVID-19 deaths were reported in Western Pennsylvania.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced 12 more counties, including Beaver, will move into the green phase Friday, June 12 as they see new COVID-19 cases dropping. Also Friday, the state announced four new deaths from the disease in Western Pennsylvania.

Due to an increase in cases in Erie County, the state will not allow it to move into the green phase from yellow at this time. Mr. Wolf said that epidemiologists are concerned about an outbreak in that area. To combat that, the state is providing Erie County with six trained contact tracers to help monitor the situation.

Pennsylvania residents can now monitor their county’s status through a new data tracker on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.

Through this tracker, residents will be able to see the number of new cases in the last two weeks, as well as if their county is meeting the reopening metrics that have been put in place.

Clinics operated by the Allegheny County Health Department updated how they are operating with restrictions: patients must wear masks and a limited number of people will be permitted in the waiting rooms. Patients should call those clinics for specific information regarding appointments and hours.

Although the state Department of Health has yet to determine exactly what comes after the green phase, it does intend to lighten restrictions if the state continues to see a decline in the number of confirmed cases.

“We’re not fighting colors or restrictions or guidelines,” Mr. Wolf added. “We’re fighting a virus.”

Allegheny County is now reporting 1,973 COVID-19 cases, an increase of eight cases since Thursday, and three new deaths for a total of 168.

Erie is the only other county in Western Pennsylvania reporting a new death; it now has had five, an increase of one since Thursday.

Of the Allegheny County total cases, 1,845 are confirmed and 128 are probable.

Of the deaths, 156 are confirmed and 12 are probable. The numbers the county is reporting are now in line with what the state is reporting after a change in the way data was collected. This change allowed cases that had not previously been included to be a part of the count.

Hospitalizations in the county have increased by two, making the total 349. Of the total hospitalizations, 133 were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 69 were placed on ventilators.

The state on Friday reported 69 new COVID-19 deaths and 443 new cases. Pennsylvania has had 26 straight days in which it has reported fewer than 1,000 daily cases. The state has reported a total of 74,385 positive cases. The new deaths increase the statewide total to 5,886.

Here are the total number of

positive cases reported Friday by the state in Western Pennsylvania:

Allegheny: 1,973 (up 8 from Thursday)

• Armstrong: 64 (no change)

• Beaver: 598 (down 1)

• Butler: 239 (down 1)

• Cambria: 59 (no change)

• Clarion: 27 (no change)

• Clearfield: 43 (up 1 from Thursday)

• Crawford: 30 (no change)

• Erie: 332 (up 5)

• Fayette: 95 (no change)

• Forest: 7 (no change)

• Greene: 27 (no change)

• Indiana: 91 (no change)

• Jefferson: 15 (up 1)

• Lawrence: 82 (no change)

• Mercer: 110 (no change)

• Somerset: 38 (no change)

• Venango: 15 (up 5)

• Washington: 141 (up 1)

• Westmoreland: 456 (up 1)

Here are the total number of deaths reported Friday by the state in Western Pennsylvania:

• Allegheny: 168 (up 3 from Thursday).

• Armstrong: 5 (no change)

• Beaver: 74 (no change)

• Butler: 12 (no change)

• Cambria: 2 (no change)

• Clarion: 2 (no change)

• Clearfield: 0 (no change)

• Crawford: 0 (no change)

• Erie: 5 (up 1)

• Fayette: 4 (no change)

• Forest: 0 (no change)

• Greene: 0 (no change)

• Indiana: 5 (no change)

• Jefferson: 0 (no change)

• Lawrence: 8 (no change)

• Mercer: 6 (no change)

• Somerset: 1 (no change)

• Venango: 0 (no change)

• Washington: 6 (no change)

• Westmoreland: 38 (no change). The Westmoreland County coroner is reporting 32 deaths.