Allegheny County adds 68 coronavirus cases, 9 deaths

Allegheny County added 68 new coronavirus cases and nine deaths on Wednesday, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

The nine deaths are the highest single-day total since July 12 and the fifth-highest in the county since the virus was first detected locally in March. The new deaths range from Aug. 20-28, with one person in the 50s, two in the 70s, four in the 80s and two in the 90s. Six of those deaths are associated with long-term care facilities.

The new cases bring the total to 10,444, and the nine deaths bring the county’s total to 343.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health lists 316 deaths in the county, a discrepancy that’s been attributed to different reporting methods between the state and county. The county’s dashboard shows older residents account for the vast majority of the deaths:

• 0-19: 0 deaths
• 20-29: 1 death
• 30-39: 1 death
• 40-49: 2 deaths
• 50-59: 15 deaths
• 60-69: 38 deaths
• 70+: 286 deaths

But more younger people have been diagnosed with covid-19, according to the county:

• 0-19: 10%
• 20-29: 25%
• 30-39: 15%
• 40-49: 11%
• 50-59: 13%
• 60-69: 10%
• 70+: 14%

Of the 68 new cases (from 1,088 unique test results), 58 were confirmed and 10 are probable. The new cases, with positive test results from Aug. 24 to Sept. 1, range from 2 to 97 years old, with a median age of 40.

The county’s seven-day average of new test results is at 63.

According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 76 covid-19 patients hospitalized in Allegheny County, with 15 using ventilators. Overall, the county’s health department says there have been 985 cases requiring hospitalization, 266 patients admitted to the intensive care unit and 101 requiring mechanical ventilation.