1K+ Coronavirus Cases Reported Friday In PA, Most In 2 Months

HARRISBURG, PA — More than 1,000 new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported Friday in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania now has reported 93,876 total cases after 1,009 new cases were confirmed, according to Friday's data. Of the nearly 94,000 cases, 77 percent of patients have recovered.

There have been 6,880 total COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania, after state officials reported 32 new deaths Friday. Of the total deaths, 4,699 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities

Allegheny County continues to experience a rapid increase in cases, with 180 new infections reported Friday. Philadelphia County's total increased by 182 cases overnight.

However, the state health department said about 175 of the total cases reported Friday were the result of an influx of private lab results. Between July 3 and July 9, the state tested 128,821 people with 4,793 being positive.

Hospitalizations remain low. As of Thursday, 653 Pennsylvanians are hospitalized for COVID-19. Of those, 97 are on ventilators. Nearly 1,200 of the state's ICU beds remain available.

Despite the rise in daily cases, local authorities in suburban Philadelphia are reporting some of the lowest hospitalization rates since the onset of the pandemic. On Thursday, 31 residents were hospitalized for coronavirus in Bucks County.That's the lowest number of hospitalizations since March 31, when the number was 29.

While most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older, officials say the virus is currently spreading rapidly among young people.

State officials say they're seeing "significant increases" in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly those 19 to 24. Some counties, including Allegheny and Beaver, have once again closed bars and restaurants as a result.

In the Southwest region, 27 percent of cases so far in July have occurred in 19 to 24-year-olds.

The the Southeast region, they make up 16 percent of cases so far in July.