Pennsylvania reports 97 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 45,000

The state Department of Health on Thursday reported almost 100 new coronavirus deaths along with almost 1,400 new positive cases of the virus.

The 97 deaths recorded Wednesday bring the statewide death toll to 2,292, according to state data. The 1,397 new cases, reported during the same time frame, bring the running total to 45,763.

In Allegheny County, officials reported 16 new cases and eight more deaths, for respective totals of 1,289 and 94. Allegheny County is including probable deaths in its count, whereas the state is not. Ten probable deaths are included in the 94 Allegheny deaths.

Probable deaths are those in which a physician or coroner has deemed it related to covid-19, or the deceased had covid-19 symptoms and close contact with a confirmed case but they themselves were never tested.

Across the state, around 2,700 covid-19 patients were hospitalized as of 5 p.m. Of those patients, 561 were on ventilators. In Allegheny County, 26 covid-19 patients were on ventilators.

Nursing home cases continued to rise both locally and across the state. In Allegheny County, there are 290 cases among residents at 34 long-term care facilities. There have been 71 deaths in those facilities, and 90 employees have contracted the virus.

The Department of Health reported 132 covid-19 cases across eight Westmoreland County care facilities, along with 29 employees who have contracted the virus. Twenty-two of the county’s deaths have been in such care facilities, according to the state.