5 more coronavirus deaths reported in Allegheny County

Allegheny County reported 5 more deaths from the coronavirus Friday, bringing the countywide total to 43 deaths.

The 43 people who have died ranged in age from 56 to 103 years, with the most deaths occurring in people over 70, county data show.

The county also added 22 new cases Friday, bringing the countywide total to 947 since March 14, when the first case was reported.

That compares to 21 new cases reported Thursday, 11 reported Wednesday, 17 reported Tuesday, 19 reported Monday and 21 new cases reported Sunday.

Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen called those numbers “incredibly encouraging,” but said during a press briefing Wednesday that more testing is needed to know whether the virus is subsiding.

More than 10,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Allegheny County, but that amounts to less than 1 percent of residents, Bogen said.

Of the 947 cases, 176 people have been hospitalized at some point in recent weeks.

The county does not provide data on how many people have recovered or have been discharged.

At least 57 people have been admitted to an intensive care unit and 32 people have required a ventilator.

Pennsylvania reported 48 additional deaths and 1,706 new cases Friday. The state’s death toll stands at 756, and there have been 29,441 cases since the first case in the state was reported March 6.