Pennsylvania reaches 350,000 coronavirus cases; adds 41 deaths

Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 8,053 new coronavirus cases, bumping the Keystone State’s total above 350,000 cases.

The new data bring the total cases to 351,667; a 50,000-case jump from this time last week. Officials said 24,926 of total cases are considered 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.

The state also reported 41 new deaths.

The total number of covid-19 deaths in Pennsylvania is 10,275. November became the third deadliest month in the state with 1,463 deaths so far. April had 3,391 and May had 2,645.

Health officials say there are 2,904 patients currently hospitalized in the state.

Out of that number, 864 patients are in an intensive care unit — 203 more than this time last week. These numbers show 30% of hospitalized patients are in an ICU.

The state said there were 415,677 people tested from last Sunday to Friday with 49,103 positive cases — for a positive rate of 11.8% positivity rate.

Out of the new cases, 663 — or 8.2% — are from Allegheny County. Philadelphia reported the highest increase in the state (1,170), accounting for 14.5% of cases.

West­moreland County reported 284 cases Saturday, a record for the county, which amounted to 3.2% of the state’s cases.

About 2.8 million people in Pennsylvania have tested negative for the virus out of a total of nearly 3.16 million people in the state who have been tested.

The overall positivity rate is about 10.3%.

According to the state Health Department, the most severe cases are seen in patients over the age of 65. This group accounts for the largest age demographic for hospitalizations and deaths.

In nursing and personal care homes, there have been 32,915 cases in residents and 6,466 in employees.

There have been 6,430 deaths at nursing and personal care homes. These deaths account for about 64% of the state’s total. About 1,232 nursing facilities have been affected by the virus.

Of the total, 14,198 coronavirus cases stem from health care workers.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine urges people to continue to exercise caution when in public — mainly by maintaining social distance and wearing masks.

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses in the state, an action that health officials say is critical preventing the spread of the virus.

She also recommends cleaning surfaces thoroughly and often, and suggests that coughs and sneezes are covered with the inside of the elbows instead of the hands.

Speaking of hands, it is strongly suggested that people wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available.