Pennsylvania adds nearly 12,000 new covid cases in 2 days
Since Saturday, Pennsylvania has added 11,837 new cases of coronavirus, the state’s Department of Health said Monday.
On Sunday 7,075 cases were added, while Monday saw an addition of 4,762 cases. The statewide total stands at 314,401.
The seven-day average of new cases rose to a record 6,398 cases; over that same time there has been 44,788 cases, also a record.
The state also announced there were 69 more covid-related deaths since Saturday, bringing the county’s total since the beginning of the pandemic to 9,870.
Of the new deaths reported, 41 were reported Sunday, with all them from this month. And 28 deaths were reported Monday, also all from this month.
“Another week of significant increases of covid-19 across Pennsylvania is a call to action,” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said on Monday in a release.
“We need all Pennsylvanians to take the steps they can to protect one another. We need Pennsylvanians to follow the most recent orders and wear a mask, social distance, avoid travel and gatherings and wash their hands. It is only by working together that Pennsylvanians can prevent the spread of the virus.”
Wolf and state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine are set to give an update on covid-19 in the commonwealth on Monday afternoon.
The department reported that there are 3,379 individuals hospitalized with covid-19. Of that number, 775 patients are in the intensive care unit. Most of the patients hospitalized are age 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
The department stated that 399,573 PCR tests were administered within the past 7 days (Nov. 16-22) with 44,502 positive cases.
More than 3 million people in the state have been tested for the virus. The overall positivity rate is 9.78%.
According to the state, there are 32,198 resident cases of covid-19 in nursing and personal care homes, and 6,407 cases among employees, for a total of 38,605 at 1,224 distinct facilities.
Out of the total number of deaths, 6,270 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.
Approximately 14,070 of the total cases in the state are among health care workers.
The Department of Health states that mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home.
Frank Carnevale is the TribLive multimedia editor. He started at the Trib in 2016 and has been part of several news organizations, including the Providence Journal and Orlando Sentinel. He can be reached at fcarnevale@triblive.com.
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