According to the official Westmoreland County website, as of Aug. 13, there are 1,573 cases of covid-19 in the county. In reality, 1,573 is an accumulated number of reported cases since the first two cases March 19.
1,573 is not the number of active covid-19 cases in Westmoreland County. The total does not remove recovered cases or cured cases, or (unfortunately) deaths. Does it include positive and negative reported cases?
Westmoreland County does not have its own health department and relies on the Pennsylvania Department of Health for data. The Department of Health does not provide data regarding recovered or cured cases. Wonder why?
Without actually knowing the number of active covid-19 cases in Westmoreland County today, how can Gov. Tom Wolf mandate any type of restrictions for the county?
Is the same “accumulated number system” being reported for Pennsylvania? And the entire U.S.?
Ralph Ignasky
Hempfield