Covid cases taper in Pa., but deaths, hospitalizations remain a concern

Pennsylvania continues to see the coronavirus claim lives and put people in the hospital at a rising rate, even as reported cases of covid-19 trend downward.

Cases

Pennsylvania on Friday reported 4,188 additional cases of covid-19, the fewest in four days. The seven-day average of cases dropped to 4,050, the lowest since April 2, according to data from the Department of Health. Of the newly reported cases, 3,342 are confirmed and 846 are listed as probable. Health officials define a probable case as one in which a patient has a positive viral antigen test or covid symptoms with a “high-risk exposure” to someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

The state has had a total of 1,126,850 covid cases.

Allegheny County added 350 cases to help drop the seven-day average to 316, the lowest it has been since March 24, according to data from the Health Department. Of the new cases, 270 are confirmed and 80 are recorded as probable.

The age ranges for new cases are:

• 0-4 years: 14 cases

• 5-12 years: 24 cases

• 13-18 years: 36 cases

• 19-24 years: 57 cases

• 25-49 years: 148 cases

• 50-64 years: 57 cases

• 65 and older: 14 cases

The county has reported a total of 95,490 cases since the pandemic began.

The seven-day average of reported covid cases dropped to 100 in Westmoreland County, the lowest since April 2. Ninety-seven additional cases were reported Friday to bring the total to 32,021. Of the newly reported cases, 70 are confirmed and 27 are probable cases.

Deaths

Pennsylvania on Friday reported 59 additional covid-related deaths, nudging the seven-day total to 316, the sixth consecutive increase for that number and its highest level since early March. All of the 59 newly reported deaths occurred in April.

Allegheny County added three more deaths, for a total of 1,853 since the start of the pandemic. One of the newly reported deaths was from September and two were from April. All three were associated with long-term care homes. One person was in their 80s and one in their 90s.

Westmoreland County recorded two additional deaths, raising the seven-day total to 14, the highest since late February. The county has had 734 deaths attributed to covid.

Hospitalizations

The state has 2,702 people currently hospitalized for covid-19. While that’s the fewest in five days, it still helps bump the 14-day average up to 2,637, the highest since the middle of February.

There are 269 people in Allegheny County hospitalized for covid, with 84 of them in intensive care units and 41 using ventilators.

Westmoreland has 52 people in the hospital, with nine of those in the intensive care unit and eight using ventilators. The 14-day average of hospitalizations (55) is at 50 or above for the fifth consecutive day after remaining below 50 since late March.

Vaccinations

Pennsylvania is reporting a total of 1,907,180 people have the first of two doses of covid vaccine, while 3,076,391 are fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson version. These numbers exclude people vaccinated in the city of Philadelphia, which tracks its own vaccinations but had not posted updated data by Friday morning.

In Allegheny County, 369,153 people (30.2%) are fully vaccinated and 598,266 (48.9%) are protected by at least one dose.

Westmoreland reports 94,566 (25.9%) are completely vaccinated while 143,288 people (39.2%) have at least one dose.