According to figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania added 849 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday. The state has 92,148 cases of the virus since the first case was discovered in March.
Dauphin County added 16 new cases and one death to their totals on Tuesday , while Schuylkill County added two new cases and one death and Northumberland County added six new cases. The current counts of cases in the three counties of the Citizen-Standard coverage area stands with Dauphin County at a total to 2,236 cases with 143 deaths, Schuylkill stands at 761 cases with 47 deaths, and Northumberland County is at 334 cases and eight deaths.
In comparison, Philadelphia County, the hot spot of the state, added 90 cases and seven deaths Thursday, putting their totals at 22,392 positive cases and 1,628 deaths since the coronavirus first hit in March..
With case numbers rising for a second time, state health officials say that mask wearing is needed to stem the rising numbers.
“As the entire state is now in the green phase, we must remain committed to protecting against COVID-19 by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and avoiding large gatherings,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Pennsylvania has been a model for the country on how to reopen effectively using a careful, measured approach. However, the virus has not gone away and we are seeing cases rise, especially in Southwest Pennsylvania.”
Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
As far as negative tests for each county, Dauphin is listed as having 19,593 negative tests while Schuylkill reported 8,719 negative tests and 4,087 in Northumberland County.
The counties affected and the number of confirmed cases, with the number of deaths in parentheses, are:
Adams-361 (13), Allegheny-4,209 (190), Armstrong-79 (6), Beaver-785 (79), Bedford-90 (4), Berks-4,623 (355), Blair-90 (1), Bradford-59 (3), Bucks-5,967 (570), Butler-390 (13), Cambria-110 (3), Cameron-4, Carbon-291 (27), Centre-232 (8), Chester-3,892 (332), Clarion-49 (2), Clearfield-82, Clinton-86 (4), Columbia-413 (35), Crawford-74 (1), Cumberland-912 (64), Dauphin-2,236 (143), Delaware-7,427 (662), Elk-28, Erie-691 (12), Fayette-160 (4), Forest-7, Franklin-984 (44), Fulton-18 (1), Greene-52, Huntingdon-254 (4), Indiana-119 (6), Jefferson-33 (1), Juniata-114 (6), Lackawanna-1,743 (208), Lancaster-4,673 (372), Lawrence-141 (9), Lebanon-1,399 (45), Lehigh-4,354 (312), Luzerne-2,967 (179), Lycoming-232 (20), McKean-20 (1), Mercer-159 (6), Mifflin-68 (1), Monroe-1,451 (111), Montgomery-8,718 (818), Montour-76 (2), Northampton-3,500 (276), Northumberland-334 (6), Perry-89 (5), Philadelphia-22,392 (1,628), Pike-504 (21), Potter-17, Schuylkill-761 (47), Snyder-71 (2), Somerset-67 (1), Sullivan-10, Susquehanna-190 (25), Tioga-27 (2), Union-98 (2), Venango-34, Warren-7 (1), Washington-356 (6), Wayne-141 (8), Westmoreland-896 (39), Wyoming-40 (7), York-1,692 (57).
As of midnight July 8, there have been 774,378 negative tests for the coronavirus. The state also said that 77 percent of the confirmed cases have recovered. If a case has not been reported as a death, and it is more than 30 days past the date of their first positive test (or onset of symptoms) then an individual is considered recovered.
What is coronavirus?
According to the Pa. Department of Health, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common throughout the world. These viruses can live in animals and at times, evolve and infect people before spreading through human to human contact.
Human coronaviruses are spread just like the common cold or the flu either through the air through coughing or sneezing, through close personal contact like touching or shaking hands, or by touching an object or surface with the virus on it.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The symptoms can appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after a person is exposed to the illness. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to severe illness and death. As of July 7, the U.S. Center for Disease Control reports there have been 2,932,596 cases of the Coronavirus reported in the U.S. with 130,133 deaths.
What can you do?
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.
The Pa. Department of Health offers these guidelines as the COVID-19 crisis continues.
Stay home as much as possible. Try to get groceries once per week instead of daily. Freedom of travel remains, but please refrain from non-essential travel. Essential travel includes things like commuting to an essential job, picking up supplies like groceries and medicine, and checking on family and pets in other households. Do not host or attend gatherings.