Reopening updates: Centre County again adds 37 cases of COVID-19, and other updates for Sept. 5
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date coronavirus news as Penn State and local schools reopen. Check back for updates.
Centre County again adds 37 cases of COVID-19
Centre County for the second consecutive day on Saturday reported 37 new cases of COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health. That ties for the county’s third-largest single-day increase of the virus. The highest increase came Wednesday (47), followed by the second-highest (40) on Thursday.
The county has had a total of 652 positives (605 confirmed and 47 probable) since March 20.
The recent increases, seen mainly in the University Park and State College ZIP codes, can be mostly attributed to Penn State students, who just wrapped up their second week of in-person classes. The university announced Friday that University Park students have accounted for 174 positive cases since Aug. 28 — boosting the total number of student cases to 211.
The state’s early warning monitoring system dashboard shows Centre County has had 140 more cases (171) in the most recent seven days (Aug. 28-Sept. 3) compared to the previous seven days (31) (Aug. 21-27). The incidence rate per 100,000 residents increased to 105 from 19. The positivity rate increased to 5% from 1.5%, while emergency department visits due to COVID-19 fell from 0.7% to 0.6%.
The sharp increase in cases this past week has caused the State College Area School District to switch to remote learning for at least a week, and for Penn State President Eric Barron to acknowledge that a potential move to remote learning — permanent or temporary — would be revisited after the Labor Day weekend.
Statewide, Pennsylvania added 963 new cases, bringing its total to 138,625. There have been 1,589,081 negative tests, and the state estimates 81% of patients have recovered. There were 18 new deaths reported Saturday, for a total of 7,760. There have been 11 deaths attributed to Centre County, according to the DOH.
Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown per the DOH is as follows:
- Approximately 1% are ages 0-4;
- Nearly 2% are ages 5-12;
- Approximately 4% are ages 13-18;
- Nearly 11% are ages 19-24;
- Approximately 37% are ages 25-49;
- Approximately 22% are ages 50-64; and
- Approximately 23% are ages 65 or older.
Cases continue to increase among 19- to 24-year-olds. In the north-central region, which includes Centre County, about 7% of all cases were seen in that age group in April; now, it’s 26%. That’s the highest percentage in the state.
There have been 21,346 resident cases of COVID-19 and 4,587 among employees in 945 nursing or personal care homes across Pennsylvania, and 5,238 deaths. In Centre County, there have 36 resident cases and 23 employee cases in eight different facilities, and eight deaths.
The breakdown of Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:
- 16801 (State College): 229 confirmed (24 new cases), 18 probable
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 74 (2 new cases), 6 probable
- 16803 (State College): 63, 6 probable
- 16802 (University Park): 57 (9 new cases), 0 probable
- 16686 (Tyrone): 30, (1 new case) case 0 probable
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 26, 1-4 probable
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 23, 0 probable
- 16841 (Howard): 22, (1 new) 1-4 probable
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 21, 1-4 probable
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 17, 0 probable
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 12, 0 probable
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 12, 1-4 probable
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 8, 1-4 probable
- 16853 (Milesburg): 7, 0 probable
- 16844 (Julian): 6, 0 probable
- 16851 (Lemont): 7, 0 probable
- 16854 (Millheim): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16877 (Warriors Mark): 5, 0 probable
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 5, 1-4 probable
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 5, 0 probable
- 16804, 16829, 16832, 16845, 16852, 16860, 16868, 16872, 16874, 16882: 1-4 cases each
The state does not give 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.
There are two patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Centre County, according to the state’s dashboard.
- by Lauren Muthler
State College students to switch to remote learning until further notice due to area COVID spike
After having a “snow day” on Friday, all State College Area School District students will switch to learning remotely, starting next week.
With 37 new coronavirus cases reported on Friday, Centre County reached the state Department of Health’s “substantial level” — the highest level of community transmission of the coronavirus. In this stage, the state recommends all county schools revert to “full remote learning.” According to the DOH’s early warning dashboard, Centre County has the second-highest incidence rate in the state per 100,000 residents in the most recent week.
Earlier this week, the board of directors voted to approve a “snow day” of no instruction on Friday, so officials could monitor case numbers in the community, most of which are connected to Penn State students.
- by Marley Parish
Will Penn State move to remote learning? University Park adds 174 COVID-19 cases in week
Three days after a pair of faculty-based groups called for Penn State to temporarily move to remote instruction, the university has again experienced a significant increase in positive COVID-19 cases.
According to Penn State’s COVID-19 dashboard, which is now updated twice weekly, students at University Park accounted for 174 positive cases since Aug. 28 — boosting the total number of student cases to 211.
That means the university alone has experienced 208 COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks, a significant spike compared to Centre County’s July average, before Penn State’s fall reopening, when the county saw about 70 cases every two weeks.
- by Josh Moyer
State College police have so far issued 26 COVID-19 masking and distancing ordinance violations
Citations for COVID-19 ordinance violations, which carry a $300 fine, continue to pile up in State College.
The borough has issued 26 citations since enacting in August a temporary ordinance that limits gathering sizes, requires people to wear face coverings in public and restricts waiting lines on sidewalks outside of businesses.
The average age of those who received citations was about 21, according to Centre County district court records. None were younger than 19, nor older than 23.
Each citation was issued for gatherings of more than 10 people who are not from the same household, according to court records.
- by Bret Pallotto
Need help with your small business, rent, home or utility bills? Here’s how State College is helping
State College borough unveiled a three-pronged campaign earlier this week — titled “Sustain State College” — that offers mortgage and rent relief, small-business loans, and relaxed outdoor zoning requirements to help fight the financial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two of those initiatives are new, while the looser commercial zoning was started more than a month ago. All three can now be found on the “Sustain State College” webpage.
“We don’t know how long this is going to last,” borough spokesperson Doug Shontz said, referring to the pandemic, “and we want to do everything we can to help those in need locally.”
- by Josh Moyer