Allegheny County adds 97 new coronavirus cases

Allegheny County reported 97 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the sixth straight day in double digits after hitting triple digits twice earlier this month.

The 97 new cases bring its total to 13,533, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

Of those 97 cases, 55 are confirmed and 42 are probable, out of 856 PCR tests for a positivity rate of 11.33%. State data puts the overall positivity rate for those tested in the county at 6.67% The new cases, on tests from Oct. 6-13, range from 5 to 103 years old, with a median age of 45.

Here’s how the new cases (55 male and 42 female) break down by age:

• 0-4: 0
• 5-12: 3
• 13-18: 4
• 19-24: 8
• 25-49: 41
• 50-64: 24
• 65+: 17

No new deaths keeps the county’s total to 397, while the Pennsylvania Department of Health lists 378 deaths in the county, including three that were added to the state’s Wednesday figures. That discrepancy between the totals is attributed to different reporting methods.

Older Allegheny County residents account for the vast majority of the deaths in the county, with around 83% in those 70 or older:

• 0-19: 0
• 20-29: 1
• 30-39: 1
• 40-49: 3
• 50-59: 16
• 60-69: 46
• 70+: 330

According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 88 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county. The county has 814 ventilators, with 189 in use, but only 14 by covid-19 patients.

Since March, the county reports that 1,302 people have been hospitalized, with 335 admitted to the intensive care unit and 129 requiring mechanical ventilation.