PA Reports Highest Coronavirus Case Increase In 10 Weeks

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania experienced its highest single-day coronavirus case increase in more than 10 weeks, after 1,213 infections were reported by state health officials Friday.

Pennsylvania has now had 105,571 total cases, with 75 percent of patients recovered. Friday's increase was the highest since May 10, when 1,295 new cases were tallied.

The state's death toll has increased by 22 to a total of 7,101. Of the state's deaths, 4,844 have occurred in long-term care or nursing homes. So far in July, there have been 414 deaths statewide.

Hospitalizations remain low. As of Friday, there were 736 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 across Pennsylvania. Eighty-nine of them are on ventilators. In terms of ICU beds, the 14-day average of available adult ICU beds as of Friday is 1,118.

Also on Friday, Bucks County reported its highest case numbers since the middle of May.

Over the three-day period running from Tuesday to Thursday, the county reported 124 new cases of the virus, an average of about 41 cases per day. That's well in excess of the roughly 23 cases per day that was Bucks County's target when trying to move to more lenient phases of Pennsylvania's coronavirus plan.

Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Department of Health, said the county appears to still be seeing the effects of travel, house parties and other social gatherings held during the July 4 weekend —and cases where people who got sick that way spread the virus to family members.

"The positive news is that hospitalizations remain low," Damsker said. "Clearly we are still seeing the effects of people who traveled or went to social gatherings over the July 4 holiday and are now passing the infections along to family members. Many of our reported cases are more than two weeks old, so hopefully we will be seeing the numbers starting to drop again soon."

In Allegheny County, where there has been a recent surge of cases, 198 new cases were reported Friday.

Meanwhile on Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf visited Lancaster Health Center, where he held a news conference that covered statewide testing and contact tracing efforts.

Wolf said the state has already met its testing goal for July and is working to shift testing sites to areas with more need or where there has been a recent increase in cases.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine joined the governor, detailing what happens after a person tests positive for COVID.

“When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, the result is reported to the Department of Health and our case investigation begins,” Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We work to begin the investigation within 24 hours of receiving the reported positive case.”

This comes after officials in Montgomery County said some residents there were not cooperating with contact tracers.