Allegheny County reports highest single-day total of coronavirus cases since July

Allegheny County on Saturday recorded 288 new coronavirus cases, one of the highest totals since this summer.

The county reported a single-day high of 331 cases July 14; however, it noted that total was because of a backlog of cases. Saturday would be the highest total not counting the numbers from that day.

One new death was reported, bringing the toll to 447.

The death occurred Friday. It was someone in their 80s associated with a long-term care facility.

The spike in cases throughout the county hasn’t meant a spike in deaths. October’s total of 52 matched September’s.

The county has had 17,126 cases of covid-19, according to data from the Allegheny County Health Department.

Of the new cases, 165 are confirmed, while 123 are listed as probable.

The recent batch of samples comprising 1,568 tests were collected from Oct. 17 through Friday.

They yielded a positivity rate of about 14%.

Twenty-three new hospitalizations were reported. Officials say 1,453 people have been hospitalized since the virus was first reported in Allegheny County on March 14.

Saturday’s cases range in age from 7 months to 95 years, with a median of 38 years old.

Through the first week of November, the county has amassed 1,330 new cases and is on pace to log 5,700 cases for the month.

In the entirety of October, the county had seen 3,448 new cases of the virus, which was an increase of 72.3% from September (2,001).

Allegheny County has posted triple-digit case numbers every day this month, 19 times in October, and, in September, it happened only three times.