Centre County adds 1 coronavirus case; Pennsylvania up to 22,833 total cases

Centre County added one new case of the coronavirus Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 70, the state Department of Health reported.

There are 22,833 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of noon Sunday, an increase of 1,178 since noon Saturday. The total rose by 1,676 from Friday to Saturday. Of those infected, 2,101 are currently hospitalized with 644 currently on ventilators. The county had two COVID-19 patients on ventilators as of noon Saturday, according to a state Department of Health database.

Pennsylvania has conducted the sixth-most tests in the United States for the virus with 120,153, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center,

Centre County’s first case of COVID-19 was reported March 20, two weeks after the virus was initially confirmed in Pennsylvania.

Thirteen more people died because of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 507. No Centre County residents have died of COVID-19.

People aged 25-49 represent the largest portion of Pennsylvania residents with the virus, accounting for 41% of the 22,833 cases. People aged 65 or older account for 51% of the state’s hospitalizations, even though they account for only 21% of its overall cases.

It is not known how many Pennsylvanians, or Centre County residents, have recovered from the virus because the state Department of Health doesn’t receive reports when patients are discharged. However, according to the previously mentioned Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, 412,777 people have fully recovered worldwide out of about 1.8 million infected. (110,052 have died worldwide as of noon Sunday.)

All 67 counties in the state have at least one confirmed case of the virus and are under a stay-at-home order through at least April 30.

Totals from nearby counties are as follows:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends those who may have come in contact with someone who might have COVID-19 to monitor their health and contact their health care provider immediately if they have symptoms, like fever, cough or shortness of breath.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure. Avoiding close contact and proper hand-washing are two of the most effective ways to protect against exposure.

Those who believe they may 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.

This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 12:20 PM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.