83 new cases of coronavirus in Allegheny County, no new deaths

Allegheny County health officials reported 83 new cases of covid-19 Monday, following a pattern of high case counts in the last week. Officials reported four new hospitalizations, but no new deaths.

The new cases involved people ranging in age from 9 to 89, with the median age being 26, county officials said.

Monday’s cases bring the county to a total of 2,651 positive cases since March 14. The positive cases represent about 5% of the more than 54,000 tests administered in the county, officials said. Since the pandemic hit the region, there have been 386 hospitalizations.

There have been a total of 186 deaths, a figure that remained steady over the weekend, when the county twice reported record high for a single-day jump in new cases, with 90 cases on Saturday and 96 new cases Sunday. Before last weekend, the previous single-day high had been 76 cases, reported April 4.

Health officials attributed the surge in positive cases to people traveling throughout the country. Myrtle Beach, S.C., Houston, Nashville, and cities in Florida such as Miami, Tampa and Naples came up more than once, the officials said last week.

Some people also told health officials they had been to local bars and restaurants, as well as ones across the country. As a result, on Sunday afternoon, Allegheny County officials ordered all bars and restaurants to halt on-premises alcohol consumption.

Though positive cases are on the rise, the death toll and hospitalizations related to the coronavirus have not experienced a similar spike. But in a news conference Sunday afternoon, Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said she worries that will follow. Hospitalizations lag behind new cases by a week or more, she said.