Westmoreland County posts record covid-19 cases for 3rd-straight day. This time 437.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported a record 437 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County.

It is the third-straight day the county reported at least 400 cases and the third-consecutive day it broke its own record.

On Thursday, 400 cases were posted, followed by 412 on Friday.

Ten additional deaths were reported, increasing the death toll to 239.

The first five days of December have produced a total of 40 covid-19 deaths in Westmoreland County. For perspective, the county didn’t reach that total from the time the virus was discovered there in March until July 16.

There have been a record-high 52 deaths reported this week, breaking last week’s record (30) by 22. There were 29 deaths reported two weeks ago.

A record high of 15 fatalities were reported on Wednesday.

Of the new covid-19 cases, 187 are confirmed and 250 are probable.

Health officials define a probable case as one in which a patient has a positive viral antigen test or covid symptoms with a “high-risk exposure” to someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

Saturday’s addition puts the seven-day average at a record-high 276 cases.

Westmoreland County has added more new cases in the first 5 days of December (1,631) than in the first 5 months since the virus arrived (the county surpassed that amount Aug. 16).

The county’s total cases are now at 10,892, a more than 1,900-case increase from last week’s 8,959.

The recent positives come from a batch of 454 tests, yielding a positivity rate of a whopping 41.19%.

The county has averaged about 276 tests per day this week.