Pennsylvania sees nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases, but 'curve has changed'

Nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in Pennsylvania, state health officials said Thursday, and 29 more people have died.

With 1,989 new cases, the running total of covid-19 cases statewide reached 18,228 since the virus was first identified here on March 6. The latest numbers represent about a 12% increase over the previous day’s total.

The death toll now stands at 338.

Two of those deaths were in Allegheny County, which has seen a dozen deaths since mid-March. Westmoreland County reported seven new cases on Thursday. The county saw its first death on Wednesday.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said health care workers make up about 850 of the total cases. There are 1,058 cases across 168 long-term care facilities in the state.

Levine has begun giving daily updates on the number of hospital beds and ventilators are available both statewide and in each county, bolstered by the release Wednesday of an interactive map showing that data.

About 45% of hospital beds across the state remain available, along with 40% of intensive care beds, as of 4 p.m. Thursday. Nearly 70% of ventilators are available, she said.

As of about 4 p.m., 2,051 people statewide were hospitalized because of covid-19, and 592 covid-19 patients were on ventilators.

Levine said again that efforts to flatten the curve – prevent a sudden exponential surge in the number of critically ill covid-19 patients – are having an effect.

“We are not out of the woods by any means,” Levine said. “But the curve has changed. It has gone from that exponential rise … where it was doubling every number of days, to a somewhat flatter curve.”

It is not, however, flat, she said, noting specifically the continued increases in the eastern part of the state.

Philadelphia County crested 5,000 cases on Thursday, though remained steady at 86 deaths. Montgomery County stood at 1,693 cases and 37 deaths, and Delaware County is up to 1,222 cases and 26 deaths.

In the northeastern part of the state, Lehigh County has reported 1,466 cases and 13 deaths, with Luzerne County at 1,241 cases and 12 deaths. Two weeks ago, the counties’ respective case counts stood at 63 and 36, with one death in each.

Levine said everyone must have hope for the day when normal life begins to resume.

It will happen slowly, she said.

“It will not be one grand day where we do that in Pennsylvania. That would be extremely dangerous,” Levine said. “It will have to go in a very slow, progressive fashion — perhaps community by community, county by county.”

As that happens, whenever it may be, officials will be watching case numbers carefully.

“We need to follow the timeline as the virus determines it,” she said.

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.

Beaver County saw just one new case for a total of 129 cases, and deaths remained steady at 13. Numbers in Butler County held at 113 cases and two deaths.

Age breakdown of positive cases:

​0-4: < 1%

​5-12: ​< 1%

​13-18: ​1%

​19-24: 7%

​25-49: ​41%

​50-64: ​29%

​65+: ​21%

Age breakdown of hospitalizations:

​0-4: ​< 1%

​5-12: ​< 1%

​13-18: ​< 1%

​19-24: 1%

​25-49: 19%

​50-64: ​29%

​65+: ​51%