Westmoreland County sets new coronavirus mark with 228 additional cases
Westmoreland County added more than 200 new coronavirus cases for the second time in a week, setting a new high with 228 on Wednesday.
The new cases bring the county’s total to 6,649, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The previous high was 207 reported last Thursday.
Of the new cases, 155 are confirmed and 73 are probable. Wednesday’s PCR test positivity rate — the percentage of PCR tests that come back positive — in Westmoreland County was 23.31%.
The county’s seven-day average of new cases sits at 174, a new high.
The health department reported five new deaths in Westmoreland County, bringing that total to 143. It puts the county’s rate of deaths per 100,000 people at 40.8, third highest in Southwestern Pennsylvania behind Beaver (87.4) and Armstrong (49.0).
According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 70 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county, a rise of 10 from Tuesday’s 60. The county has 88 ventilators, with 15 in use, but only four by covid-19 patients.
Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.
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