Pennsylvania up to 21,655 total cases of COVID-19, as Centre County adds 8 more confirmed cases
Centre County added eight new cases Saturday of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, increasing the total number of cases in the county to 69, according to the state Department of Health.
There are now 21,655 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania as of noon Saturday, meaning 1,676 cases are new. Although cases continue to climb — there were 1,751 new cases Friday and 1,989 Thursday — this marks the seventh straight day that single-day increases have been at or below 15%. (Prior to that, single-day increases had been over 15% for 21 consecutive days.)
The novel coronavirus first appeared in the state March 6, and every one of the state’s 67 counties had at least one confirmed case by April 7. Centre County saw its first case March 20.
“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Saturday in a written statement. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe. If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well.
“We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and our health care workers and front line responders.”
It is unknown how many Pennsylvanians, or Centre County residents, have recovered from the coronavirus because the state Department of Health doesn’t receive reports when patients are discharged. However, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, more than 390,000 patients have fully recovered worldwide out of about 1.7 million infected. (By comparison, 104,938 have died worldwide as of noon Saturday.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least seven confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 10
- Cambria County: 13
- Clearfield County: 9
- Clinton County: 7
- Huntingdon County: 10
- Juniata County: 38
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Saturday, increasing by 78 to 494 total. However, no COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Centre County.
According to the state Department of Health, about 41% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those aged 50-64 (29%) and 65 and older (21%). When it comes to hospitalizations, those 65 and older make up 51% of admissions, followed by those aged 50-64 (29%) and those aged 25-49 (19%).
According to a Mount Nittany Health spokesperson, six patients have been hospitalized at Mount Nittany Medical Center since April 2. The hospital declined to provide updates on their conditions, citing privacy concerns, but the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard lists two COVID-19 patients in the county on ventilator care.
Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, told the CDT on Thursday that the hospital can currently provide ventilator care for up to 40 patients — “and we are awaiting shipment of additional ventilators.”
Anyone who believes they came into contact with someone who might have the coronavirus is advised to monitor their health and call their primary care provider if they develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Symptoms can appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
Those who believe they might be sick are encouraged to stay at home except to get medical care. Residents are also urged to call their health care provider before visiting. And those who do venture outside are urged to wear masks.
“It’s beginning to look like the aggressive efforts of social distancing are beginning to take hold,” Joshi told the CDT earlier this week. “There is only one message we can give the community: Put one foot ahead of the other and keep social distancing until the time we can get out of this.”
The state updates its county-by-county coronavirus numbers at noon every day.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 12:12 PM.
