Centre County adds 6 COVID-19 cases as Pennsylvania total tops 49,000
After two days of no increases, Centre County added six new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, according to the state Department of Health.
There are now 102 cases in Centre County and 49,267 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, with 962 new cases since Saturday at noon.
Centre County now has three nursing or personal care homes with COVID-19 cases. There are three cases among residents and three cases among employees, according to the state Department of Health.
The Oaks at Pleasant Gap and Wynwood House at State College confirmed to the Centre Daily Times last week that there are cases within their facilities. The third facility is not known, as the state Department of Health does not identify which nursing or personal care homes have confirmed cases, despite calls for transparency and bipartisan support for legislation.
One COVID-19 death has been reported in Centre County, an 89-year-old man who died on April 16, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers. The statewide death toll increased by 16 from Saturday to Sunday, bringing the total to 2,444.
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. There are 191,374 patients who have tested negative in Pennsylvania to date.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that 24 counties — including Centre County — will partially reopen May 8. But local officials told the Centre Daily Times that it could take a full year before the county is completely opened.
While the county will partially reopen, Commissioner Michael Pipe said it could see a spike in cases if social distancing guidelines are not followed.
“One of the things to keep in mind is that just because we, as a community, could get to the yellow phase, we could easily return to the red phase,” Pipe said. “And likewise, if we would eventually get to the green phase, there could be a possibility we could get back to the yellow phase.”
The commissioner also said the timeline for a total re-opening is an unknown at every level.
“This is going to take several months, if not over a year, to confront this virus here in the county, across the state and across the county,” Pipe said.
Every county surrounding Centre County has at least 21 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 24 cases (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 33 cases (one death)
- Clearfield County: 21 cases (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 32 cases (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 56 cases (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 86 cases (one death)
- Mifflin County: 39 cases (0 deaths)
- Union County: 38 cases (0 deaths)
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 28
- 16801 (State College): 26
16827 (Boalsburg): 9
- 16803 (State College): 8
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 7
16666, 16686, 16841, 16866, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers not available)
According to the state Department of Health, about 38% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those aged 50-64 (27%) and 65 and older (27%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, no COVID-19 patients in the county are on ventilator care. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, 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.
The state updates its county-by-county coronavirus numbers at noon every day.
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 12:20 PM.
