Centre County adds 1 new COVID-19 death, 2 new cases, Pa. Department of Health reports
One more Centre County resident died of the new coronavirus, bringing the county’s total to six, the state Health Department reported Thursday.
The Centre County coroner’s office, however, has not received any notification of an additional since Wednesday, when it confirmed the county’s fourth and fifth deaths — a 74-year-old man Tuesday and an 88-year-old woman, according to Deputy Coroner Debra Smeal.
According to the DOH, four of Centre County’s six COVID-19 deaths have been associated with nursing or personal care homes.
Specific facilities are not identified by the DOH, but three — The Oaks at Pleasant Gap, Wynwood House at State College and Centre Crest — have each confirmed at least one COVID-19 case.
Two residents of The Oaks at Pleasant Gap died last week of COVID-19. Both patients died at Mount Nittany Medical Center, the first, on May 8, involving a 96-year-old male and the second on Saturday with an 89-year-old female, according to the Centre County coroner’s office.
One Wynwood House resident died Wednesday of COVID-19, owner Vincent Romanini said Thursday.
It’s unclear why there are inconsistencies with the state’s reporting and confirmed reports between the coroner’s office and facilities in Centre County. Some of the new deaths statewide reported Thursday are the result of a reconciliation of data over the past several weeks, according to the DOH.
The county added two new cases of the coronavirus Thursday, increasing its total to 128, the DOH reported. That includes one new case among a nursing or personal care home residents.
Sixteen residents have tested positive in addition to 11 employees over three different facilities, according to the state’s data.
There are 59,636 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of noon Thursday, an increase of 938 since noon Wednesday. It is the fourth consecutive day that there have been fewer than 1,000 new cases.
The Keystone State has the sixth-most cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The statewide death toll increased Thursday by 275, bringing the total to 4,218.
It is unknown how many Pennsylvanians have recovered from the coronavirus. The DOH is not notified when patients are discharged.
Nearly 1,500 Centre County residents have been tested as of Thursday. About 8% have tested positive, according to the DOH.
The new 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 reported its first case March 20 and its first death — an 89-year-old man — on April 17.
The county reported its first case in a nursing or personal care home April 28. Twenty-seven of the county’s 41 new cases since then have been reported in a long-term care facility.
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 36
16801 (State College): 28
16803 (State College): 19
16827 (Boalsburg): 9
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 8
16866, 16686, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers are not available)
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, which was last updated noon Tuesday, 1,982 Pennsylvanians are hospitalized and receiving treatment for the coronavirus.
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.
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 12:28 PM.