PA Coronavirus Data: 970 Cases, 1K More Contact Tracers Coming

HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday reported 970 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 112,048. Of the total cases, 75 percent of patients have recovered.

The county with the largest single-day increase was Allegheny, where 244 new cases were reported. Of the new cases in Allegheny County, 30 cases have specimen collection dates from more than two weeks ago and at least 77 are known to be among long-term care residents and staff.

Thirteen new deaths were reported Friday, bringing the state's death toll to 7,189. Of the total COVID-19 deaths, 4,904 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.

Also Friday, the state announced a nearly $23 million federally funded contract with Insight Global to recruit, hire, train, and support 1,000 paid contact tracing staff.

Insight Global will work with the department to recruit, interview, hire, train, and support contact tracers, contact tracer supervisors, and care resource manager positions. The hourly rates for these positions range from $18 to $22 an hour for contact tracers and $22 to $24 an hour for both the contact tracing supervisors and care resource managers.

The positions will be both full- and part-time, and will provide ongoing skill development and training for those interested in career pathways into public health, officials said.

“Across Pennsylvania, we have dedicated public health professionals who truly are the backbone of contact tracing, and this expansion of the contact tracing team will only support, strengthen and expand their efforts,” Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said. “This project will bolster and diversify our public health workforce all while coordinating and mobilizing efforts in order to conquer any potential surge in COVID-19 cases. We are eager to onboard and train this new cohort of public health professionals to help identify, notify, and monitor anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.”