Megan Guza stories, Page 42
During a pandemic, a simple cough can turn into a weapon
A woman coughs on a state trooper and claims she has coronavirus. A man coughs on a medical employee who is wearing a mask, telling her the mask won’t help her. The pandemic surging across the country has turned into a sick joke — and perhaps something more sinister —...
Coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County hit 300
The coronavirus death toll in Westmoreland County remained at 25 on Wednesday while the total number of cases there hit 300, according to state and county officials. The state Department of Health reported nine new cases of covid-19 from 12 a.m. Tuesday and 12 a.m. Wednesday. County coroner Ken Bacha...
Pennsylvania reports 58 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 35,000
The coronavirus death toll in Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,600 as the total number of positive cases rose by 1,156, state health officials reported Wednesday. The 58 new deaths bring the statewide total to 1,622. That includes 1,325 confirmed deaths and 297 probable deaths. Department of Health officials are defining confirmed...
Coronavirus death toll hits 7 at Kane Regional’s Glen Hazel nursing home
Seven residents have now died from the coronavirus at a Kane Community Living long-term care facility, according to data from Allegheny County. All of the deaths occurred at Kane’s Glen Hazel location, where 62 residents have tested positive for the virus. There are no more pending covid-19 tests among residents...
Donora widow recounts husband’s sudden health decline, death from covid-19
Rebecca Taquino says she knows it’s difficult to stay home, to forgo seeing family and friends, to sit still as spring fever sets in. It’s an inconvenience, she knows. But it’s not like planning your husband’s funeral. Devin Taquino, of Donora, died April 10, a little more than two weeks...
Gov. Wolf: Increase in coronavirus testing needed before large-scale reopening of Pennsylvania
A day after Gov. Tom Wolf laid the groundwork for a gradual reopening of businesses in Pennsylvania, he warned in a call with reporters Tuesday that a much more robust coronavirus testing system will need to be in place for any wide reopening of the state. “We are working with...
Pennsylvania refines coronavirus reporting, adding 360 deaths as total tops 1,500
Pennsylvania’s coronavirus death toll pushed past 1,500 on Tuesday as state health officials continue to refine how they are reporting cases and deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said 360 new deaths related to covid-19 were reported throughout the day Monday. The number of deaths statewide now stands at 1,564....
Federal officials now requiring nursing homes to report all coronavirus cases
Federal officials have ordered nursing homes to report all coronavirus cases to residents, their families and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new regulation was announced Sunday by President Donald Trump and Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The move comes amid growing...
Gov. Tom Wolf lays out plan for reopening Pennsylvania’s economy
The plan to reopen Pennsylvania’s economy will be slow and gradual, hinging on a “regional, sector-based approach,” Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday, though he offered no timetable on when the plan would be enacted. The plan, available on the governor’s website, comes in three phases — relief, reopening and recovery...
Westmoreland reports no new coronavirus deaths; total cases up to 249
Westmoreland County officials continued to report 19 coronavirus deaths on Friday as state data showed nine new cases across the county. The coroner’s website, last updated Thursday morning, showed 19 cases: 10 men and nine women. The oldest covid-19 victim in the county was 109 years old, and the youngest...
New Pennsylvania coronavirus cases increase sharply; 49 more deaths reported
New coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania jumped by more than 1,700, a marked increase in new daily cases compared to the past week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday. State health officials also reported 49 more deaths, bringing the statewide death toll of 756. The Department of Health recorded 1,706...
Kane Regional’s Glen Hazel nursing home sees spike in coronavirus cases
At least 50 residents and 23 employees at one Allegheny County-owned nursing home have coronavirus, and employees at other county nursing homes have also tested positive. Four residents at Kane Community Living Center’s Glen Hazel location have died from the virus, which first appeared in the facility in late March...
Pennsylvania reports 60 more deaths, over 1,200 new coronavirus cases
Another 60 coronavirus deaths were reported across Pennsylvania on Thursday, pushing the death toll above 700 as the case count eclipsed 27,000. The deaths, reported to the state throughout the day Wednesday, bring the total to 707, according to the Department of Health. The 1,245 new cases reported during that...
Pennsylvania launches task force to address coronavirus outbreaks among minorities
The governor’s office on Wednesday announced a new task force aimed at analyzing and addressing disproportionate coronavirus outbreaks in minority communities across Pennsylvania. The goal of the Covid-19 Response Task Force for Health Disparity is to identify disparities and make recommendations to Gov. Tom Wolf on how to address the...
Pennsylvania orders businesses to turn away customers who don’t wear masks
Customers and employees will soon be required to wear masks inside businesses still operating, and those who don’t wear masks will be denied entry, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Wednesday. The order, which includes dozens of other requirements, will go into effect 8 p.m. Sunday. It dictates...
Pennsylvania rolls out data on nursing home coronavirus cases
Pennsylvania is now sharing data on cases of coronavirus at long-term care facilities and personal care homes in each county. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine made the announcement during a virtual news conference Wednesday. The information can be found on the health department’s coronavirus page. Levine said the Department...
Pennsylvania coronavirus deaths rise to 647 as total cases top 26,000
Coronavirus deaths in Pennsylvania crested 600 on Wednesday, though the total number of new cases remained below 1,200 for the second straight day. In numbers reported throughout Tuesday, 63 more people died from the virus statewide, bringing the death toll to 647. The Department of Health reported 1,145 new cases....
Gov. Wolf says states — not president — should decide when to lift coronavirus restrictions
Gov. Tom Wolf said he believes it should be left to state governments — not the president — to decide when and how to loosen restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. “We had the responsibility for addressing the needs that we all had, and that involved closing...
Pennsylvania reports 60 more coronavirus deaths as total hits 584
Sixty more people across Pennsylvania died from the coronavirus, state health officials said Tuesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said 1,146 new cases of covid-19 were reported Monday, bringing the state’s running tally to 25,345. There were 1,366 new cases reported Monday and 1,178 on Sunday. The death toll now...
4th resident dies at Kane Glen Hazel facility from coronavirus complications
A fourth resident at a Kane Community Living long-term care facility died from coronavirus complications, according to data from Allegheny County. All of the deaths occurred at the Glen Hazel location, where at least 26 other residents tested positive. Four residents’ tests still are pending, and 24 have tested negative....
AHN, UPMC spearhead plasma program that could treat coronavirus
Plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus could be a tool in helping critically ill patients recover from the virus, and the region’s two largest health care providers are working together to help facilitate those transfusions. Vitalant, previously the Central Blood Bank, is working with UPMC and Allegheny...
Pennsylvania reports 17 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 24,000
Seventeen more people died from coronavirus in Pennsylvania, state health officials said Monday, and the total case count now tops 24,000. The death toll, which includes two new deaths in Allegheny County, stands at 524. Officials said one inmate from SCI-Phoenix in Montgomery County died. About 1,179 health care workers...
3 coronavirus deaths now reported at Kane Community Living in Glen Hazel
Three Kane Community Living residents have now died from coronavirus-related complications, according to data from Allegheny County. That’s up from two deaths that were reported Friday. The deaths occurred in Kane’s Glen Hazel location, where at least 25 residents have tested positive for covid-19. Eight tests among residents still are...
Gov. Wolf approves release of up to 1,800 inmates amid coronavirus concerns
Up to 1,800 Pennsylvania prison inmates scheduled for release in the next year could be temporarily released as part of a plan to reduce the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday. Eligible inmates could start being released to home confinement or community facilities as early as Tuesday, according...
Pennsylvania reports 78 more coronavirus deaths as total case count nears 20,000Video
Seventy-eight new coronavirus-related deaths were reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Health throughout the day Thursday to bring the state’s death toll to 416, according to state health officials. The total coronavirus case count is approaching 20,000, the data show. The state saw three days this week where new deaths...
