Pennsylvania reports 58 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 35,000

The coronavirus death toll in Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,600 as the total number of positive cases rose by 1,156, state health officials reported Wednesday.

The 58 new deaths bring the statewide total to 1,622. That includes 1,325 confirmed deaths and 297 probable deaths.

Department of Health officials are defining confirmed covid-19 deaths as those of individuals who had previously tested positive for the virus. Probable deaths are those where a coroner or medical examiner lists coronavirus as the cause or contributing cause of death for an individual who had close contact with a confirmed case of the virus, though they themselves did not previously take a covid-19 test.

The 1,156 new cases reported to the Department of Health throughout the day Tuesday brought the running case count to 35,684. That includes 35,045 confirmed cases and 639 probable cases.

Officials are defining confirmed and probable cases similarly to confirmed and probable deaths. Confirmed cases are individuals who have tested positive for the virus. Probable cases are individuals who have symptoms of covid-19, had close contact with a confirmed case but have not taken a covid-19 test.

In Allegheny County, officials reported seven more deaths and 29 new cases, bringing the county’s totals to 74 and 1,088. Fifteen of the total deaths are probable deaths.

Westmoreland County’s death toll remained at 25, according to the county coroner, as the case count reached 300 after adding nine new cases.

The number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes continued to grow on Wednesday, with 11 more long-term care facilities reporting at least one case. All told, there are 5,337 cases across 407 nursing homes, and 617 employees have been infected as well.

More than half of the state’s deaths have been in nursing homes – about 845.

There are 199 coronavirus cases across 33 nursing homes in Allegheny County, according to the state data. More than 60 of those cases are in residents at Kane Regional’s Glen Hazel location. There have been seven deaths in that facility – about 14.5% of the 48 nursing home residents who have died in the county.