Number of COVID-19 deaths rises to 416 in Pennsylvania
The total number of those who have died from the novel coronavirus has risen to 416 – with an additional 78 deaths reported by the state Department of Health on Friday.
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the continued rise in deaths, which totaled 102 last Friday, is likely from “patients who have been ill for a while now.”
The daily update included a rise in the number of cases to 19,979, from 18,228 Thursday.
Four more COVID-19 cases were reported in Fayette County, bringing the case count to 49, while Greene County remained at 21 cases.
While some counties, like Greene, only have a handful of positive cases, Levine said the state knows that the data is “underreported” in the same way flu cases often are.
“We know that the true caseload of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania is much higher, and so even though only a few people have tested positive in rural counties, we expect that there are more cases,” she said.
Those rural counties, however, are less likely to experience mass transmission in the way that Allegheny or Philadelphia counties may, because the population density is lower, Levine noted.
Other local counties also saw an increase in positive cases: Washington County rose by three cases to 66 and Westmoreland’s cases jumped from 190 to 202.
Eighteen deaths have been reported in Allegheny County, where 788 cases have been identified.
In other statewide news related to COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolf, on Friday, announced a $450 million low interest loan package to help hospitals struggling financially during the pandemic.
Wolf said medical facilities have been shifting resources and purchasing equipment in preparation for a surge of COVID-19 patients. Simultaneously, he said, hospitals have stopped performing elective surgeries or other non-urgent care, which has resulted in a hit to revenue.
“The combination of increased costs and reduced revenue has hurt many hospitals financially. We cannot allow any of our hospitals to become bankrupt. When this pandemic finally ends, we’re going to need our hospitals to care for our regular medical needs like heart attacks and broken bones,” Wolf said.
Also on Friday, Wolf directed the state Department of Corrections to establish a temporary program to release between 1,500 and 1,800 inmates from prison.
The program targets inmates who are vulnerable to COVID-19 and inmates who are incarcerated for non-violent offenses.
Inmates at high risk for complications because of underlying health issues or who are 65 or older will be considered for the program if they are within 12 months of their release date.
Non-violent inmates will be considered if they are within nine months of their release date.
Eleven cases of COVID-19 have been identified at a state prison in Montgomery County.
Two employees at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette has tested positive for the virus.
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