Pennsylvania reports 12 more deaths, 533 new cases of coronavirus

Twelve more people in Pennsylvania have died from covid-19, increasing the statewide coronavirus death toll to 34, state health officials said Saturday.

Confirmed cases now are present in at least 56 of the state’s 67 counties, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said.

“We are seeing this virus rear its ugly head in every corner of our commonwealth,” Gov. Tom Wolf said during a virtual news conference co-hosted by Levine.

The state Department of Health reported 533 new cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A total of 2,751 residents had tested positive as of noon Saturday.

One week ago, just 100 new coronavirus cases were reported, with the state’s total at 371 confirmed cases and two deaths as of last Saturday. Levine had said at the time she expected steep increases in cases in coming weeks.

Saturday’s update follows cases rising by more than 500 from Thursday to Friday.

“Our notable increase in cases over the past week indicate we need everyone to take covid-19 seriously,” Levine said.

Both Wolf and Levine expressed optimism about Pennsylvania’s efforts to slow the spread of covid-19 through social distancing, stay-at-home orders and the closing of non-life-sustaining businesses.

“If we are successful, we will have enough,” Wolf said. “If we don’t do this, if we shirk our duties, we will not have enough.”

In contrast to the shortages confronting New York, Levine emphasized that Pennsylvania has sufficient health care capacity and equipment — so long as the disease infects people in “a small wave,” as opposed to a large percentage of the population getting sick all at once, Levine said.

The state recently found more available ventilators, and now knows of more than 4,000, of which 75% are available, Levine said.

Of 3,400 Intensive Care Unit beds, about 40% are empty, she said.

Testing sites are popping up around the state, commercial labs are testing hundreds of people daily, and a newly approved covid-19 test that produces results in less than an hour will prove especially helpful to emergency departments and urgent patient needs, Levine said.

“It’s been only three weeks that we have been able to test at all, so we have ramped up significantly,” Levine said. “We look forward to being able to have that testing for any symptomatic patient in Pennsylvania that needs it.”

Wolf urged residents to continue doing their part not to spread the highly contagious disease. Though covid-19 poses higher risks of fatality and severe symptoms to the elderly, it also is infecting younger and middle-aged adults at a rapid rate.

The bulk of more than 2,700 patients who tested positive — 81% — are younger than 64 years old, state data show.

“If you don’t have to interact with other people, don’t,” Wolf said. “… Be the missing link, remove yourself from this chain and save lives.”

None of the covid-19 deaths have been children.

Seniors age 65 and older account for 19% of all cases, and 49% of the hospitalized cases.

People ages 25 to 49 made up 39% of the total, but 20% of hospitalizations. Less than 4% of hospitalizations involved children or young adults under 24.

Nearly 11% of cases involved patients between ages 19 and 24, and the age groups of 13-18, 5-12 and newborns to 4-year-olds each represent less than 1% of cases statewide.

“We do know that we have a number of pediatric and young adult cases, which highlights why the mitigation and stay at home message is so important for all age groups,” said Maggi Mumma, spokeswoman for the governor’s office.

The majority of people who have died from the disease have been 65 or older, Levine said. Specific ages were not available for all deaths.

At least two of the deaths have been in Allegheny County, including a Clairton resident in their late 60s and a 78-year-old resident of Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. Of 219 cases, 31 have required hospitalization in Allegheny County.

Butler County has reported two deaths and 42 cases.

Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania: Washington County has 23 confirmed cases, Westmoreland County has 41, Beaver County has 22, Fayette County has 10 and Erie has seven.