Allegheny County surpasses 2,000 coronavirus cases for September

Allegheny County surpassed 2,000 positive coronavirus cases for the month of September with 43 new cases reported Wednesday.

The Allegheny County Health Department said there were 43 cases, with 15 confirmed and 28 probable (of those probables, 17 are positive antigen tests), from 516 PCR tests. Those new tests bring the county’s total to 12,348.

The monthly total wound up at 2,001, lower than the 2,253 in August and the 5,334 from July. For comparison, there were 849 cases in June, 622 in May, 964 in April and 325 in March.

The county also added two new deaths, bringing that total to 382. The deaths happened Sept. 17 and 25, with both in individuals their 80s and associated with long-term care facilities. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports 361 deaths in Allegheny County, with the discrepancy attributed to different reporting methods.

The new cases range from 4 to 80 years old with a median age of 27. The date of positive tests range from Sept. 9-29, though the county says most are from the past week.

The age groups of the newly reported cases — 22 male and 21 female — are:

• 0-4: 1
• 5-12: 1
• 13-18: 4
• 19-24: 6
• 25-49: 18
• 50-64: 8
• 65+: 5

According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 49 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county. The county has 816 ventilators, with 194 in use, but only eight by covid-19 patients.

Since March, the county reports that 1,213 people have been hospitalized, with 316 admitted to the intensive care unit and 123 requiring mechanical ventilation.