Centre County reports 1 new case of COVID-19, as Pennsylvania tops 64,000 overall cases
After technical difficulties delayed the state’s daily release of its coronavirus numbers, the Department of Health reported Wednesday that Centre County added one new case of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus — to boost its overall total to 133.
That means the county has had about 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, which 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 Wednesday, there are now 64,412 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, meaning 749 cases are new. That marks the 10th straight day that single-day increases have been below 1,000 — a considerable decrease from the April 9 peak of 1,989 new cases.
Still, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine warned Pennsylvania residents not to get complacent.
“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare 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, nearly 290,000 patients have fully recovered in the U.S. out of more than 1.5 million infected. (By comparison, 92,128 have died in the U.S. as of Wednesday 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: 39 (1 deaths)
- Cambria County: 54 (2 deaths)
- Clearfield County: 33 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 45 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 215 (1 death)
- Juniata County: 94 (2 deaths)
- Mifflin County: 57 (1 death)
- Union County: 56 (1 death)
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 38
- 16801 (State College): 29
16803 (State College): 20
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 most recent nursing home data, which was first made public Tuesday, has not yet been updated for Wednesday. On Tuesday, the state Department of Health listed three county nursing homes with cases — Wynwood House at State College, Wynwood House at Green Hills and The Oaks at Pleasant Gap.
However, Wynwood House owner Vince Romanini told the Centre Daily Times on Tuesday that Green Hills had no cases — and Centre Crest, which was not listed by the state DOH, previously told the CDT it also had cases. According to the data, which Romanini disputed, Wynwood House at State College has 25 total cases, 15 among residents and 10 among employees.
The breakdown at the other two nursing homes was not available because they were both listed with less than five cases apiece.
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Wednesday, increasing by 143 to 4,767 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 May 12 and an 88-year-old woman May 13, according to the Centre County Coroner’s Office.
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%).
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 usually updates its county-by-county coronavirus numbers around noon every day.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 7:06 PM.
