Nov. 17 update: Pa. sets record with 5,900 new cases of COVID-19; Centre County adds 62
Pennsylvania set another record Tuesday with 5,900 new COVID-19 cases as the state issued new guidelines to fight the virus. The Centre County coroner also reported six more deaths related to COVID-19, which brings the total to 33.
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on Tuesday announced additional mitigation efforts as cases continue to rise.
Masks must be worn indoors around people who are not from your household even if social distancing can be maintained. Masks must be worn outdoors if social distancing cannot be maintained.
Colleges and universities have been told to establish a testing plan for when students return after the holidays and to be ready to enforce violations of mask and social distance policies.
Visitors to Pennsylvania must have a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours of entering the state.
Hospitals are also urged to plan for the possibility that they will become overwhelmed. This includes supporting other facilities as well as rescheduling elective procedures, if necessary. Modeling from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation shows that Pennsylvania will run out of intensive care beds in December if the rate of admissions does not slow, Levine said.
These new steps come a day after Philadelphia officials announced a ban on indoor gatherings of any size, though compliance will be voluntary.
All five of the highest one-day case increases in the state have occurred within the past week.
Centre County reported 62 new cases Tuesday to bring the total to 5,240 (4,988 confirmed and 252 probable) since March 20. There have been 41,785 negative tests.
Coroner Scott Sayers on Monday confirmed five additional deaths related to COVID-19 and six more on Tuesday.
A 79-year-old woman died Tuesday at Mount Nittany Medical Center, Sayers said in a statement. Three others died at a long-term care facility in the 16823 ZIP code: a 104-year-old woman and an 81-year-old man, who both died Saturday; and a 79-year-old woman, who died Tuesday.
Sayers reported two more deaths early Tuesday evening. An 88-year-old woman died Tuesday and a 96-year-old woman died Sunday. Both were at the same long-term care facility in the 16801 ZIP code.
The state Department of Health counts 24 deaths in the county.
Twenty COVID-19 patients are hospitalized at Mount Nittany Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said Tuesday.
On Tuesday, county commissioners agreed to keep open the Nittany Mall testing site through the middle of December as demand continues to increase.
The breakdown of confirmed Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:
- 16801 (State College): 2,838 (21 new cases)
- 16802 (University Park): 765 (5 new cases)
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 374 (8 new cases)
- 16803 (State College): 360 (3 new cases)
- 16686 (Tyrone): 150 (5 new cases)
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 88 (2 new cases)
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 70 (1 new case)
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 51 (3 new cases)
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 49 (2 new cases)
- 16841 (Howard): 46 (2 new cases)
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 46
- 16853 (Milesburg): 33 (1 new case)
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 28 (2 new cases)
- 16877 (Warriors Mark): 20
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 18
- 16851 (Lemont): 17
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 14
- 16845 (Karthaus): 13
- 16874 (Snow Shoe): 13 (2 new cases)
- 16854 (Millheim): 12
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 12 (1 new case)
- 16844 (Julian): 11
- 16829 (Clarence): 10
- 16860 (Munson): 10 (1 new case)
- 16826 (Blanchard): 9
- 16872 (Rebersburg): 8
- 16804 (State College): 7
- 16832 (Coburn): 6 (1 new case)
- 16868 (Pine Grove Mills): 6
- 16677 (Sandy Ridge): 5 (at least 1 new case)
- 16835, 16852, 16856, 16859, 16864, 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.
Statewide, there have been 275,513 cases and 9,355 deaths (an increase of 30). There have been 2.59 million negative tests, and an estimated 67% of people have recovered.
The age breakdown of those who tested positive is:
- Approximately 1% are 0-4
- Approximately 2% are 5-12
- Approximately 5% are 13-18
- Approximately 13% are 19-24
- Approximately 36% are 25-49
- Approximately 21% are 50-64
- Nearly 20% are ages 65 or older
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 11:53 AM.