Pennsylvania tops 31,000 total cases of COVID-19, as Centre County adds no new cases
After its first confirmed coronavirus-related death Friday, Centre County saw no new deaths Saturday and no new positive cases of COVID-19 to keep its overall positive case count steady at 73, according to the state Department of Health.
It is the fourth time in seven days that the county has not had a new case.
There are now 31,069 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania as of noon Saturday, meaning 1,628 cases are new. Although cases continue to climb — there were 1,706 new cases Friday and 1,245 Thursday — this marks the ninth straight day that single-day increases have been at or below 10%. (Prior to that, single-day increases ranged between 12% and 100% for 34 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.
“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Saturday in a written statement. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families, our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well.
“We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, 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, nearly 580,000 patients have fully recovered worldwide out of about 2.3 million infected. (By comparison, 156,076 have died worldwide as of noon Saturday.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 13 (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 17 (1 death)
- Clearfield County: 9 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 11 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 12 (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 66 (0 deaths)
- Mifflin County: 19 (0 deaths)
- Union County: 27 (0 deaths)
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Saturday, increasing by 80 to 836 total. So far, one total COVID-19 death has been reported in Centre County — an 89-year-old man, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers. (That death was first reported by the state Friday but occurred Thursday.)
According to the state Department of Health, about 39% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those aged 50-64 (28%) and 65 and older (24%). When it comes to hospitalizations, 22% of those 80 and older who test positive are admitted — followed by those 65-79 (20%), 50-64 (9%), 30-49 (5%) and 0-29 (2%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, one COVID-19 patient (and two non-COVID-19 patients) in the county are on ventilator care. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, recently told the CDT that the hospital can currently provide ventilator care for up to 40 patients.
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.
“Please stay at home whenever you can, avoid unnecessary social contact and keep washing your hands,” said Dr. Brian Newcomb, director of the Mount Nittany Medical Center emergency department. “Remember the most vulnerable in our community and how much they’re relying on all of us right now. Practicing social distancing can significantly help to slow the spread of COVID-19. ... We’re all in this together.”
The state updates its county-by-county coronavirus numbers at noon every day.
