Centre County reports no new cases of COVID-19, as Pennsylvania now tops 61,000 overall cases
For the first time in five days, Centre County reported no new cases of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus — as the overall number of cases remained steady Saturday at 129, according to the state Department of Health.
That means the county, which partially reopened May 8, has had about 17 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks. The rate remains well within the state’s target goal of having 50 such cases or fewer.
Statewide, the numbers continue to rise — but the rate of confirmed positive cases has slowed. As of noon Saturday, there are now 61,611 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, meaning 989 cases are new. That marks the 37th straight day that single-day increases have been at or below 10%, and the 16th consecutive day increases have been below 3%, after 34 consecutive days of the rate bouncing between 12% and 100%.
“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Saturday in a written statement. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our health care workers and our first responders.”
Thirty-seven counties (including Centre County) have partially reopened, and Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 12 more counties — scattered around the state — will also partially reopen this Friday by moving into the “yellow phase.” That means 18 other counties remain under stay-at-home orders or are not yet poised to move on from the “red phase.”
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 250,000 patients have fully recovered in the U.S. out of nearly 1.45 million infected. (By comparison, 87,643 have died in the U.S. as of Saturday morning.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least 33 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 34 (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 53 (1 death)
- Clearfield County: 33 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 43 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 208 (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 94 (1 death)
- Mifflin County: 57 (0 deaths)
- Union County: 46 (1 death)
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 37
- 16801 (State College): 28
16803 (State College): 19
16827 (Boalsburg): 9
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 8
- 16686 (Tyrone): 6
16666, 16841, 16866, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers not available)
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Saturday, increasing by 61 to 4,403 total. So far, five total COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed in Centre County — an 89-year-old man on April 16, a 96-year-old man May 8, an 89-year-old woman May 9, a 74-year-old man Tuesday and an 88-year-old woman Wednesday, according to the Centre County Coroner’s Office.
The state Department of Health did report a sixth COVID-19 death Thursday but, as of late Saturday morning, Deputy Coroner Todd Shook said they’ve not yet received any such notifications. The state DOH has also reported five such deaths in county nursing homes — after reporting only four Friday — but only three deaths have been confirmed by county nursing homes.
It’s unclear why there are inconsistencies with the state’s reporting and confirmed reports. But some of the new deaths reported statewide are the result of a reconciliation of data over the past several weeks.
According to the state Department of Health, about 37% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those 65 and older (29%) and those aged 50-64 (26%). When it comes to hospitalizations, 20% of those aged 65-79 who test positive are admitted — followed by those 80 and older (19%), 50-64 (10%), 30-49 (5%) and 0-29 (2%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, no COVID-19 patients (and one non-COVID-19 patient) in the county are on ventilator care. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, told the CDT last month that the hospital can 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. The most well-known symptoms are cough and shortness of breath — but can also include the presence of at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste/smell.
Symptoms can appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC.
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 out 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.
