Allegheny County's 7-day covid case average continues to fall

Allegheny County on Friday reported 334 additional cases of coronavirus, the highest daily tally in a week. But the county’s seven-day case average continues to trend downward, according the latest data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The seven-day average sits at 286, the lowest since mid-November.

Of the newly reported cases, 209 are confirmed from 1,305 new PCR tests and 125 are listed as probable. The positive tests ranged from Jan. 31 to Feb 4, according to the county health department.

Allegheny has a total of 70,812 cases of covid-19 since March, according to the health department. Of those, 55,947 are confirmed.

Health officials define a probable case as one in which a patient has a positive viral antigen test or covid symptoms with a “high-risk exposure” to someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

The county recorded one additional covid-related death — from Jan. 31 — bringing the total to 1,497 since March. The person was in their 80s.

The new cases ranged in age from 8 months to 97 years with a median age of 43 years, the county health department reported.

The county has 278 people hospitalized for covid-19, the fewest since mid-November. Of those, 82 are in intensive care units and 37 using ventilators. Of the 1,186 ventilators in the county, 299 are in use for all patients.

Allegheny has had a total of 4,585 people hospitalized for covid-19.