Pennsylvania reports 963 new coronavirus cases, 18 new deaths

Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 963 new coronavirus cases — a 72-case jump from yesterday’s 891.

The state Department of Health reported 18 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus after posting 10 on Friday. Thursday’s total of 20 deaths was the highest of the week. No new deaths were reported Monday.

The total number of covid-19 deaths in Pennsylvania is 7,760.

The new data brings the total cases to 138,625. Officials said 721 are considered probable cases.

The state said there were 159,937 people tested from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4, with 5,671 positive cases — for a 3.5% positivity rate.

Out of the new cases, 68 — or 7% — are from Allegheny County. Philadelphia reported an increase of 124, accounting for nearly 13% of the state’s cases.

Nearly 1.6 million people in the state have tested negative for the virus; in total about 1.73 million people have been tested for the virus in the state.

The positivity rate is 8%.

As of Saturday, 81% of people who tested positive have recovered from the virus, state officials said.

According to the Health Department, the most severe cases are seen in patients over the age of 65. About 45% the cases in Pennsylvania are seen in patients age 50 or older.

In nursing and personal care homes alone, there have been 21,346 cases in residents and 4,587 cases in employees.

There have been 5,238 deaths at nursing and personal care homes. These deaths account for 67.5% of the state’s total. About 945 nursing facilities have been affected by the virus.

Of the total, 9,861 coronavirus cases stem from health care workers.

Officials continue to urge people to use caution — mainly by maintaining social distance and wearing masks.

“The mitigation efforts in place now are essential as the new school year approaches and we work to ensure our children can get back to learning,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework will help keep our case counts low.”