Allegheny County reports 7 more deaths, 29 new coronavirus cases

Allegheny County on Wednesday reported seven new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the total to 74.

Of that total, 15 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 74 people who have died, 61 were 70 or older, according to county data.

The youngest person to have died from the virus in Allegheny County was 42.

The county also reported 29 new confirmed or probable cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,088 since March 14, when the first case was reported in the county.

That compares to 17 new cases reported Tuesday, seven reported Monday, 26 reported Sunday, 62 reported Saturday and 22 reported Friday.

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 12,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Allegheny County.

There have been 196 people hospitalized in recent weeks. Of those, 76 have been admitted to an ICU and 47 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 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 1,612 as of April 21 — 410 fewer inmates compared to last month.

There have been no positive cases among alternative housing staff or residents.

There were 1,156 new cases of covid-19 statewide and 58 more deaths reported Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The statewide death toll now stands at 1,622.