As Pennsylvania works on confirming the number of positive cases and death attributed to the COVID-19 Coronavirus, the number of new cases rose again while the number of deaths dropped
While Pennsylvania’s death toll rose above 1,600 cases yesterday, that number was a combined amount of confimed and probable cases. In their daily update, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is now releasing confirmed case numbers. With that, the number rose 91 deaths to 1,421.
According to information released on Pa. Department of Health’s website, there are currently 37,053 confirmed cases, a increase of 1,369 cases in 24 hours.
Dauphin County reported 23 new positive cases on Tuesday, while seven new positive tests were added in Schuylkill County and five more in Northumberland County, bringing Dauphin’s total to 445 cases with 16 deaths, Schuylkill up to 290 cases with seven deaths, and Northumberland County at 82 confirmed cases.
Philadelphia County, the hot spot of the state, reported 394 new cases but revised numbers took 94 deaths off their toll, putting their totals at 10,090 positive cases and 271 deaths..
While optimistic, officials say that the public’s effort on social distancing and wearing masks must continue to get things back to normal as the state looms on a May 8 date to possibly begin repopening the state.
“As we start to see the number of new COVID-19 cases continually change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”
As far as negative tests for each county, Dauphin is listed as having 2,733 negative tests while Schuylkill reported 1,600 negative tests and 355 in Northumberland County.
In nursing home and long-term care facilities, Dauphin County is listed in the table having three facilities, 61 cases among residents (two up from yesterday), 11 cases among employees (up one from yesterday) and eight deaths. Schuylkill County has two positive cases in two nursing homes, one resident and one employee, and Northumberland County has its first case in a nursing care facility with a resident having the virus All total, 5,679 cases are reported among residents and 673 among employees, and have accounted for 849 of Pennsylvania’s 1,421 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.
The state also updated numbers of age ranges of the positive cases and hospitalizations to date. Currently 2,750 Pennsylvania residents are hospitalized with the virus and its complications, down 14 people from the day before.
The breakdown is as follows:
Positive cases
Ages 0-4, <1%; 5-12, <1%; 13-18, 1%; 19-24, 6%; 25-49, 39%; 50-64, 28%, 65+, 25%
Hospitalizations
Ages 0-29, 2%; 30-49, 5%; 50-64, 10%; 65-79, 20%; 80+, 21%
The counties affected and the number of confirmed cases, with the number of deaths in parentheses, are:
Adams-95 (1), Allegheny-1,149 (69), Armstrong-43 (2), Beaver-319 (46), Bedford-20 (1), Berks-2,212 (86), Blair-15, Bradford-28 (2), Bucks-2,131 (116), Butler-164 (6), Cambria-20 (1), Cameron-1 Carbon-155 (9), Centre-76 (1), Chester-989 (64), Clarion-20 (1), Clearfield-11, Clinton-14, Columbia-245 (7), Crawford-19, Cumberland-229 (7), Dauphin-445 (16), Delaware-2,902 (119), Elk-2, Erie-68, Fayette-71 (3), Forest-7, Franklin-151 (9), Fulton-2, Greene-25, Huntingdon-20, Indiana-59 (4), Jefferson-4, Juniata-77, Lackawanna-707 (58), Lancaster-1,359 (72), Lawrence-61 (5), Lebanon-544 (6), Lehigh-2,418 (43), Luzerne-1,880 (58), Lycoming-44, McKean-5, Mercer-60 (1), Mifflin-24, Monroe-1,024 (42), Montgomery-3,395 (204), Montour-47, Northampton-1,656 (45), Northumberland-82, Perry-23 (1), Philadelphia-10,090 (271), Pike-327 (12), Potter-4, Schuylkill-290 (5), Snyder-31 (1), Somerset-20, Sullivan-1, Susquehanna-72 (4), Tioga-14 (1), Union-30, Venango-7, Warren-1(0), Washington-92 (2), Wayne-87 (3), Westmoreland-307 (17), Wyoming-17 (1), York-546 (7).
As of noon April 23, there have been 142,061 negative tests for the coronavirus, an increase of 5,784 over the day before.
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 April 21, the U.S. Center for Disease Control reports there have been 803,583 cases of the Coronavirus reported in the U.S. with 44,575 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 need to go out and will be around other people, 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.