HARRISBURG – The number of positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has surpassed 37,000 throughout all 67 counties in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has confirmed that as of 12 a.m., there are 1,369 new coronavirus cases, bringing the statewide total to 37,053. The death toll is now 1,394, per Thursday’s press release.
The death toll has dropped from 1,622 to 1,394 since Wednesday, as the Department of Health continues examining probable deaths.
Further explanation was later provided by Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine during a virtual press briefing Thursday afternoon.
She said in an effort to be transparent about the number of cases and deaths, earlier this week, the department began to release information on probable cases.
She said state health officials defined “probable” based upon the national definition utilized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“But we realized this category can be confusing since it does change over time,” Levine said.
She said when a case is confirmed, it means there’s a positive test result for that patient for both case count and death statistics.
“… Some probable cases are actually still under investigation,” she said, “meaning additional data is still being gathered.
“Some … will remain a probable case even after investigation, especially after someone tragically passes away, because we may never really be able to get a confirmed test.”
Levine said this verification process is “very intensive,” and can take months to complete under normal circumstances.
She said the DOH continues to refine the data being collected to provide this information to the public in a timely manner.
“This is really difficult with thousands of reports each day,” Levine said, adding that some counties see case counts change from one day to the next.
For example, she said, this can occur when state health officials verify a patient’s county of residence, and discover it differs from the county of their death.
Levine said both the CDC and the DOH utilize a patient’s county of residence when they report case count and death statistics, which she admits adds to the confusion.
“So, today, you actually see a decrease in our probable cases, specifically probable deaths,” she said, “and that impacts our total case count.
“These cases were previously reported as probable, but further review has determined that we needed more information before we could attribute them to a death related to COVID-19.”
Levine concluded by emphasizing that: “This doesn’t impact our confirmed case count, just the new probable case count; and probable cases make up less than 2 percent of our total cases.
“But they give us an idea if something may be happening in a community that requires further investigation. In the spirit of transparency, we want to report that to you, but it is complex.”
County Case Counts to Date
County | Number of Positives | Number of Negatives | Deaths |
Clearfield | 11 | 357 | 0 |
Centre | 76 | 718 | 1 |
Blair | 15 | 675 | 0 |
Cambria | 20 | 760 | 1 |
Clinton | 14 | 138 | 0 |
Elk | 2 | 129 | 0 |
Cameron | 1 | 23 | 0 |
Jefferson | 4 | 273 | 0 |
Indiana | 59 | 488 | 4 |
DOH data shows that Clearfield County has 11 positive COVID-19 cases while 357 individuals have tested negative.
All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital, state health officials say. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.
“As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state, that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Levine said.
“We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others.
“We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and front-line responders.”
DOH data shows there are 142,061 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive, the age breakdown is as follows:
Age Range | Percent of Cases* |
0-4 | < 1% |
5-12 | < 1% |
13-18 | 1% |
19-24 | 6% |
25-49 | 39% |
50-64 | 28% |
65+ | 25% |
State health officials say that most of the hospitalized patients are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
It was also noted that there have been no pediatric deaths to date. More Pennsylvania COVID-19 data is available here.
DOH data shows that in nursing and personal care homes, there are 5,679 resident cases of COVID-19 and 673 cases among employees for a total of 6,352 at 408 distinct facilities in 39 counties.
Out of total deaths, state health officials say that 849 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.
All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year.
Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.