Covid cases in Allegheny County continue to spike

Allegheny County for the second day in a row recorded more than 600 new cases of coronavirus, the county’s Health Department reported Thursday.

The county announced 609 additional covid-19 cases, bringing the total case count to 22,043 since the pandemic reached the county in March. The county recorded a record 620 new cases Wednesday.

Allegheny has seen a 38% increase in covid cases since the beginning of the month.

The dramatic rise in cases prompted the county’s Health Department director, Dr. Debra Bogen, to issue a countywide stay-at-home advisory Wednesday with the warning that a full-blown public health order could come next if case counts continue to rise.

“For the past few weeks, I’ve asked people to follow the rules, curtail gatherings and parties, stay home except for essentials and wear masks,” Bogen said. “I’m done asking, and today I’m telling you that these are things we all must do to bring down the level of spread and keep our community safe.”

There have been more than 19,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county since March.

Of the new cases reported Thursday, 492 are confirmed and 117 probable from 2,672 PCR tests. The new cases put the daily PCR positivity rate at 18.41% and the overall rate at 7.43%.

The dates of positive tests ranged from Oct. 20 to Nov. 19. Thirteen positive tests are more than a week old, and most are from a local university, although the county did not identify which one. Close contacts of those cases were identified and quarantined in a timely fashion, according to the county.

The new cases range in age from 1 week old to 98 years old, with a median age of 37 years.

The county announced one new covid-related death — a person in their 70s on Nov. 14 — raising the county’s total to 465 deaths.

Of the new cases — 311 females, 298 males — the age breakdown is:

• 0-4: 8

• 5-12: 12

• 13-18: 30

• 19-24: 70

• 25-49: 277

• 50-64: 130

• 65 and older: 82

Allegheny County also saw an increase of eight new hospitalizations for covid-19 patients, bringing the total to 363.

There are currently 117 coronavirus patients in an ICU, and 50 coronavirus patients are on ventilators. According to the state covid dashboard, there are 77 available ICU beds in the county (9.6%). There are 803 total ICU beds in the county.

State officials report there are 812 operational ventilators in the county, with 216 (27%) currently in use for all illnesses.