Centre County adds 29 cases of COVID-19, the fewest reported in a day since Sept. 8
Centre County added 29 cases of the new coronavirus Friday, according to the state Health Department, pushing the county’s tally in September to 1,745.
Of the county’s 2,231 total cases, 78% have been reported in September. The cases reported Friday were the fewest in a single day since Sept. 8.
Five patients are being treated for COVID-19 at Mount Nittany Medical Center as of Friday, an increase of three since Thursday, Mount Nittany Health Chief Medical Officer Nirmal Joshi said in a written statement.
The hospital has admitted nine COVID-19 patients in September and averaged three patients “at any given time,” Joshi said.
The county has been “extremely fortunate” that its rapid increase in cases has not yet translated to an increase in hospitalizations, Joshi said.
“We continue to closely monitor COVID activity and patterns within the community and health system, and because we know that hospital admission patterns can change quickly, we have plans that would enable us to flex our hospital capacity if needed,” Joshi said. “Given the rise in cases, and the overall incidence in the county, we must continue to be diligent with efforts to contain the virus. We must continue to practice social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a mask. Absent an effective vaccine, these are the only measures that are effective in limiting spread. Together, we can help to keep ourselves and each other safe.”
Nearly all of the cases reported Friday were in State College or University Park ZIP codes, a weeks-long trend. All cases were confirmed.
At Penn State, 2,123 students and one employee have tested positive, the university said Friday. The lone employee case and 1,304 of the student cases are no longer active.
“We know that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields increased case counts,” state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a written statement. “The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives.”
In Centre County, 24,580 negative tests have been administered, an increase of 208 since Thursday. There will likely be an influx of tests in Centre County.
On Friday, the state Health Department opened a free testing site at the Nittany Mall that can accommodate up to 500 people per day. The site is scheduled to be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and Tuesday-Oct. 3.
Tests are expected to be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients do not need to exhibit symptoms, schedule an appointment or have insurance. A photo identification is required.
The breakdown of Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:
- 16801 (State College): 1,385 confirmed (18 new cases), 27 probable
- 16802 (University Park): 310 (6 new cases), 1-4 probable
- 16803 (State College): 141 (3 new cases), 9 probable
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 88 (2 new cases), 10 probable
- 16686 (Tyrone): 34, 1-4 probable
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 28, 1-4 probable
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 27, 0 probable
- 16841 (Howard): 26, 1-4 probable
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 27 (1 new case), 1-4 probable
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 25, 0 probable
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 15, 1-4 probable
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 12, 0 probable
- 16851 (Lemont): 9, 0 probable
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 8, 1-4 probable
- 16853 (Milesburg): 8, 0 probable
- 16844 (Julian): 6, 0 probable
- 16854 (Millheim): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 5, 1-4probable
- 16845 (Karthaus): 5, 0 probable
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5, 0 probable
- 16877 (Warriors Mark): 5, 0 probable
- 16804, 16826, 16829, 16832, 16852, 16856, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16882: 1-4 cases each
The state does not provide specific numbers when there are fewer than five cases to protect patient privacy, and does not identify exactly where a case occurred in a ZIP code that spans multiple counties.
The Keystone State added 806 cases Friday, which brought the statewide total to 154,203. An estimated 82% of patients recovered statewide, according to the DOH.
Pennsylvania has recorded 8,081 deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of two since Thursday. About two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania have been reported in nursing or personal care facilities.
Eleven deaths attributed to COVID-19 have been reported in Centre County by the state Health Department, though the county coroner’s office has reported seven. The county coroner’s office reported one death in April, five in May and one in August.
Centre County has the highest incidence rate in the state for the third consecutive week. About 350 cases per 100,000 were reported in the county from Sept. 18 through Thursday, according to the state’s early warning dashboard.
Northumberland County has the second-highest incidence rate in the state at about 121 cases per 100,000.
Centre County’s testing positivity rate over the same period was about 12.1%, also the highest in the state. Northumberland County reported a testing positivity rate of about 8.3%.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 12:50 PM.