Nearly 500 COVID-19 deaths reported after state health department reconciles data
Nearly 500 additional deaths related to COVID-19 were reported by the state Department of Health on Wednesday, but not all of the deaths occurred overnight.
“The count has gone up because of the reconciliation of our data systems,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.
The update includes deaths reported through the state’s electronic death reporting system over the past 10 days, she said.
The 479 additional deaths bring the state’s total number of deaths to 2,195.
None of the newly reported deaths were in patients from Fayette, Greene or Washington counties. The DOH reported 25 deaths in Westmoreland County, up five from Tuesday’s data.
The DOH report still falls below the number of deaths reported by Coroner Kenneth Bacha, who has reported 30 COVID-19 deaths.
DOH data showed 26 Greene County residents have tested positive for the virus, the same number reported Tuesday.
Fayette County’s cases increased from 79 to 80; Washington County’s from 109 to 113 and Westmoreland County’s from 383 to 386.
Allegheny County saw a 38-case increase to 1,273.
Levine said she knows residents are eager to move into the next phase, where some businesses will reopen and some restrictions will be relaxed.
“But it is very important to remember that social distancing and wearing a mask are still going to be important when we move from red to yellow. We must be very careful and remain vigilant in our social distancing efforts during this time. If we move too quickly, we will see that more people will become sick, and more people will tragically pass away,” Levine said.
She again urged those workers who are able to continue to telecommute, “even in regions and counties that go from red to yellow.”
Levine also encouraged those who need to go to the store to do so only when necessary, and to wait until they need several things instead of making multiple trips.
“When we move from red to yellow, it is not a signal that are we are releasing everyone to go about their regular, normal activities. It is a staged process, and yellow actually meets me means that we need to proceed with caution,” she said.
Later this week, Levine said, state officials will be able to discuss which businesses will be allowed to reopen, and in what counties. Officials have said the openings will begin to occur on May 8.
In response to a question, Levine said flu cases and deaths are not being added to COVID-19 cases and deaths.
“It’s a completely different virus and a different situation,” she said.
The DOH data showed 130,000 flu cases that were confirmed by lab tests, Levine said, and 102 deaths during the past flu season. COVID-19, she said, is “maybe between 10 and 20 times more lethal than the flu.”
For more information on COVID-19, including county-level data, visit health.pa.gov.