Health & Fitness
PA Cases Up But 'Not Exponential;' 17 New Deaths Reported Monday
"Even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent," the state's top health official said Monday
HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has surpassed 24,000 coronavirus cases after 1,366 positive tests were reported Monday. The state now has 24,199 cases. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said there were 17 new deaths reported Monday, bringing the statewide COVID-19 death toll to 524.
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Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, in a Monday news release, said "even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent."
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RELATED: PA Curve Flattens But 'Now Is Not The Time' To Reopen: Officials
She said residents must continue to stay home.
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"Social distancing works and the closures are saving lives in Pennsylvania. If we stop those efforts now, our health systems will become overwhelmed and more will be lost to this virus," Levine said during a Monday news conference.
Levine said she does not believe the state has hit the peak yet, "but we are certainly seeing a plateau in new cases. The rate of rise has slowed."
The mitigation factors in Pennsylvania "are absolutely critical" to combat COVID-19, Levine said. The closures of schools and non-essential businesses are the main reason the rate of the spread is slowing in the state, she noted.
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