113 new coronavirus deaths reported in Pennsylvania, state adds 780 cases

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday reported 113 new deaths and 780 additional cases of the coronavirus.

The state has now had 69,417 total cases and 5,265 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 54 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case.

More than 349,000 people have tested negative for the virus.

Nursing and personal care homes account for 22% of the state’s total cases, with 14,990 cases involving residents and 2,528 involving employees. About 66% of the state’s deaths involved residents of nursing and personal care homes. Cases have been reported at 596 facilities in 44 counties.

More than 5,200 of the total cases are in health care workers.

As of Tuesday, 49 counties, including Allegheny and Westmoreland, had been moved to the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s three-tiered reopening plan. Eight additional counties are scheduled to move to the yellow phase on Friday, while 17 counties will move to the green phase the same day.

Specific guidance related to counties moving to the green phase is expected to be released this week, state Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Tuesday.

All remaining counties in the red phase are expected to move to yellow by June 5.

The number of confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus in Allegheny County increased by 12 to 1,828. One new death was reported, bringing the countywide total to 151.

The state on Wednesday continued to report several more deaths than the county, with 160.

County officials have said the reason for the difference is in the state’s reporting databases. The county has access to only one of the two systems from which the state collects its data.

No new cases were reported in Westmoreland County. The total number of cases held at 442 and deaths remained unchanged at 38.