Westmoreland County reports 72 new covid-19 cases, 6 new deaths

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 72 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, as hospitalizations and case counts decline in the area.

The county’s total cases are at 25,202, which is an increase of about 540 cases from the preceding week’s 24,661. The week before had an increase of about 700 cases.

On Tuesday, a weekly high of 117 cases was reported, and a low of 62 was reported Friday.

Six deaths also were reported, which increases the toll to 632. That’s 31 more than there were the preceding week.

Nine fatalities were reported Friday, and another three were reported Thursday. There were four deaths recorded Tuesday and Wednesday.

Six days into February, 27 deaths have been recorded. In January, there were 178 deaths recorded.

In December, 224 deaths were reported. Westmoreland County didn’t reach that number from the time the virus was first reported there in March until Dec. 4.

Of the new covid-19 cases, 66 are confirmed, and six 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 covid-19.

The results come from a batch of 290 tests. The positivity rate is 23%.

There are 131 covid-19 patients in hospitals in the county — 14 fewer than this time last week. Of that total, nine are in intensive care (-1), seven of whom are on ventilators (+1).