Allegheny County reports 61 new coronavirus cases, lowers death toll based on data error

The Allegheny County Health Department on Thursday corrected figures released this week related to deaths from the coronavirus, subtracting five deaths and bringing the countywide total to 69.

The county also reported 61 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Thursday, a significant increase compared to relatively low case counts reported throughout the week.

That increase is due to a batch of laboratory results that were added to the system, officials said.

The total case count stands at 1,119 confirmed cases and 30 probable cases as of Thursday.

The error in the death total was attributed to duplicates in the state’s reporting system, which is where Allegheny County officials are obtaining data related to deaths, officials said in a statement.

Of that total, seven are designated as probable deaths from covid-19, meaning that those people did not have a positive test for the virus, but covid-19 is listed on their death certificate.

Of the 69 people who have died, 57 were 70 or older, according to county data.

The youngest person to have died from the virus in Allegheny County was 42 and had underlying conditions, health department officials said.

A case is listed as probable when a person displays symptoms of covid-19 and has had close contact with a confirmed positive case but has not had a test themselves. The county health department is including those probable cases to assess community spread.

More than 13,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Allegheny County.

There have been 204 people hospitalized in recent weeks. Of those, 80 have been admitted to an ICU and 49 have required the use of a ventilator or breathing machine, the county reported.

Of the 20 inmates at the Allegheny County Jail who have been tested for the coronavirus, four have now tested positive and three cases are still pending, according to figures last updated Tuesday posted to the jail website.

Among staff at the jail, 28 people have been tested. Two have tested positive and three of those tests are still pending.

The jail population was 1,617 as of Wednesday — 392 fewer inmates compared to last month.

There are 11 residents and three staff members at the Allegheny County Treatment Alternative (ACTA) facility who have tested positive for covid-19, according to figures updated Wednesday.

The 50-bed male facility is located in Oakland and provides inpatient drug and alcohol treatment, case management, employment and family services.

It is operated by The Program for Offenders, a nonprofit that provides residential alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.

Residents and staff at the West Homestead Center, a 56-bed female facility in West Homestead, and the Renewal facility have not reported any cases of the coronavirus.

There were 1,369 new cases of covid-19 statewide and 1,394 confirmed deaths reported Thursday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.