Westmoreland County reported seven new cases of coronavirus on Thursday as the statewide total grew by nearly 2,000 new cases.
The new cases bring the county’s running total to 190 since the first two cases were reported on March 19. The county saw its first death on Wednesday.
The 1,989 new covid-19 cases reported across the state on Thursday brings the running total to 18,228. Another 29 deaths were reported, pushing the statewide death toll to 338.
Cases in Fayette County, where one person has died, jumped by 10 for a total of 45. Indiana and Somerset counties remained at 21 and seven, respectively.
Greene and Washington counties both saw four new cases, bringing their respective totals to 21 and 63.
Westmoreland officials have said they are having a difficult time getting a handle on the numbers related to the virus, indicating they found out about the first local death when it was reported by local media.
“We have a job to do and part of that is strategizing on where things are happening. This is just another example of the Department of Health not giving us enough information,” Roland “Bud” Mertz, county public safety director, said Wednesday.
