Two women and a man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, upping the death toll to 18, officials said Wednesday.
The deaths were added to a total provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who is being notified of deaths related to the virus sooner than the state Department of Health. Deaths related to contagious diseases that could constitute a public health hazard are required by law to be reported to coroners in the county where the death occurred.
The majority of the county’s fatalities are linked to senior living communities, Bacha said.
State health officials on Wednesday reported 11 deaths, up from the six it had listed for several days. Since late last week, the coroner’s office has disclosed updated figures that shows the coronavirus has resulted in more deaths the the state figures show. The first deaths in the county were reported April 5.
State officials said they were attempting to clarify the discrepancy between numbers. The oldest Westmoreland coronavirus victim was 109 and the youngest was 63, according to the most recent information available from the coroner. The nine men and nine women all were white.
Westmoreland County added six cases of the virus between 12 a.m. Tuesday and 12 a.m. Wednesday, according to the state health department. There were 1,145 new cases reported statewide, for a total of 26,490. The death toll stands at 647.
Indiana County reported its first death, and the county’s case count stands at 43. Somerset and Washington counties both reported one new case, bringing their respective totals to 14 and 71.
