PA Coronavirus Cases Pass 82K As All Counties Brace For Green

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania reported an additional 456 positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the statewide total to 82,186. Of the total cases, 78 percent of patients have recovered, according to state data.

As of Monday, 6,426 Pennsylvanians have died from the virus. Of the state's total deaths, 4,389 of them were residents of long-term care or nursing home facilities.

The developments come as the entire state braces to be in the green phase of coronavirus mitigation. Southeastern Pennsylvania counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery will be moving to the green phase on Friday along with eight other counties.

State officials are cautioning residents to continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines as safety precautions as other states experience a surge of new cases as businesses reopen and social distancing measures are relaxed.

“Pennsylvania has been a model for the country on how to reopen effectively using a careful, measured approach. However, the virus has not gone away. Each of us has a responsibility to continue to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others by wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands frequently," Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement Monday.

Meanwhile, the state's three-day case average is up to 417 and some communities in the western part of the state, which have been reopened longer, are experiencing a surge in cases.

In Allegheny County, 45 new cases were reported Sunday. That's the largest single-day tally in the county since the first week of May.

Updated projects from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which have been previously used by the White House's coronavirus task force, estimate an additional 2,400 Pennsylvanians will die from the virus by the beginning of October.

The updated figures, released last week, estimate the coronavirus pandemic will kill more than 8,831 Pennsylvanians by Oct. 1.

The model's creators explain several factors influenced their updated model: COVID-19 infections could rise between August and September at the start of the fall season. Plus, "we assume that schools will start to reopen in mid-August for in-person instruction, resulting in further increased mobility thereafter."

Nationwide, the model predicts more than 201,000 Americans will die from coronavirus by Oct. 1. As of Monday, there have been more than 122,000 deaths in the U.S.