Covid case trend continues to drop in Norwin area
For the second consecutive week, the spread of new covid cases in four ZIP codes in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area has slowed, falling to 5.1% for the week ending Jan. 4, according to data from the state Department of Health.
The state said there were 2,121 confirmed covid cases as of Jan. 4, an increase of 104 cases from Dec. 28, when there were 2,017 covid cases. It was the second consecutive week-over-week increase of less than 10% in the area that has a population of about 35,000. Between the Thanksgiving holiday and Dec. 21, there had been double digit percentage increases in covid cases, week over week, before the 7% increase for the week preceding Dec. 28.
The ominous figure in the covid data — with the totals counted from the beginning of the pandemic - is a 14.6% increase in the number of probable, not confirmed, cases from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4, which is double the 7% increase from the previous week, according to the health department data. There were 104 new probable cases as of Jan. 4, which pushed the number to 812, from 708.
Health officials have expressed concern over the expected spike in covid cases as a result of holiday gatherings of family and friends.
Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network is expecting and preparing for a spike in cases over the next few weeks, said Stephanie Waite, a health network spokeswoman.
There have been 9,844 negative covid test results as of Jan. 4, up 489 from the count of 9,355 on Dec. 28.
In the North Huntingdon-Irwin 15642 ZIP code, which also contains parts of Hempfield and Penn townships, there have been 2,054 confirmed cases, with 791 probable and 9,544 negative coronavirus test results.
In the Westmoreland City 15692 ZIP code, there have been 54 confirmed cases as of Jan. 4, with 15 probable cases and 186 negative coronavirus test results.
In the Larimer 15647 ZIP code, there were 13 confirmed cases of covid as of Dec. 28, five probable cases and 59 negative coronavirus test results.
In the Ardara 15615 ZIP code, there were 13 confirmed cases, 1-to-4 probable cases and 55 negative test results.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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