Pennsylvania sets daily record of 12,884 new covid-19 cases, cruises past 400,000 total

Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 12,884 new coronavirus cases, hurdling the Keystone State’s total past 400,000 cases.

The new data bring the total cases to 411,484; a nearly 60,000-case jump from this time last week (351,667). Officials said 31,219 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 149 new deaths.

The total number of covid-19 deaths in Pennsylvania is 11,262.

Health officials say there are 5,230 patients currently hospitalized in the state.

Out of that number, 1,065 patients are in an intensive care unit — 201 more than this time last week. These numbers show 1 of 5, or 20%) of hospitalized patients are in an ICU.

The state said there were 405,631 people tested from last Nov. 27 to Thursday with 59,817 positive cases — for a positive rate of 14.75%.

Out of the new cases, 1,197 — or 9.3% — are from Allegheny County.

West­moreland County reported 437 cases Saturday, a record for the county, which amounted to 3.4% of the state’s cases.

A little more than 2.9 million people in Pennsylvania have tested negative for the virus out of a total of nearly 3.4 million people in the state who have been tested.

The overall positivity rate is about 11.1%.

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 38,852 cases in residents and 7,135 in employees.

There have been 6,931 deaths at nursing and personal care homes. These deaths account for about 61.5% of the state’s total. About 1,327 nursing facilities have been affected by the virus.

Of the total coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania, 15,455 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.