Westmoreland County reports 89 new coronavirus cases, 24 new hospitalizations
Westmoreland County added 89 new coronavirus cases and 24 hospitalizations on Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Those new cases bring the county’s total of covid-19 cases to 3,703 with a seven-day average of 93 new cases per day.
The 89 cases — 67 confirmed and 22 probable — stem from 390 tests for a daily positivity rate of 22.82%. Overall, the county’s positivity rate sits at 7.01%.
According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 62 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county. On Tuesday, there were 38 patients hospitalized. Westmoreland has 88 ventilators, with 19 in use but just five by covid-19 patients.
The county has seen 1,426 cases through the first 20 days in October, nearly doubling the next nearest month of 763 in July.
The state also reported two new deaths, raising that total to 76. With five deaths in the past two days, Westmoreland County hasn’t seen as many covid-19 deaths since May 18 when six were announced on one day.
With more than 600 cases in the past week, Pennsylvania Department of Education officials could soon urge Westmoreland County officials to close schools and move to fully remote learning. An increase in cases prompted Hempfield officials on Tuesday to close the high school through Friday, according to superintendent Tammy Wolicki.
Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.
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