Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 625 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 70,042

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 28, that there are 625 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 70,042. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,373 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 108 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

Locally in Beaver County we are at 579 cases. Increase of 9. 3533 people have tested negative and the county remains at 72 deaths.

“As Pennsylvania continues to move forward in the process to reopen, we need to remember that the threat from COVID-19 has not gone away,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “As counties move into the yellow and green phases, we must take personal responsibility to protect others. Wearing a mask, continuing to maintain social distancing, and washing your hands frequently are all steps we can take to help protect others, including our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our essential workers and our healthcare system.”

There are 595 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 357,804 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Nearly 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are ages 5-12;
• Nearly 2% are ages 13-18;
• 6% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 37% are ages 25-49;
• 25% are ages 50-64; and
• 28% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 15,158 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,563 cases among employees, for a total of 17,721 at 600 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 3,501 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 5,279 of our total cases are in health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Non-life-sustaining businesses in the red phase are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently, 49 counties are in the yellow phase of reopening. Eight additional counties will move to yellow and 18 to green on May 29. All remaining red counties are expected to move to yellow by June 5.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, May 27:

• Provided an update from Pennsylvania State Police on business closure enforcement actions.
• Issued green phase order, guidance on dining and professional sports.
• Highlighted PA businesses rising to meet COVID-19 needs.
• Provided latest CMU metrics report.
   

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

US layoffs climb to 41 million, despite business reopenings
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and DAN SEWELL Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly 2.1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week despite the gradual reopening of businesses around the country, bringing the running total since the coronavirus shutdowns took hold in mid-March to about 41 million. The government figures underscore the continuing damage to businesses and livelihoods from the outbreak that has now killed at least 100,000 people in the U.S.

Wolf Administration Distributes Testing Supplies to Hospitals, More Than 67,000 Patients Tested Since March

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that additional shipments of testing supplies have been sent to hospitals across Pennsylvania this week. Since March 9, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has distributed supplies to more than 60 hospitals, health care facilities, and county and municipal health departments to help test more than 67,000 patients.

“We know we need to ramp up testing capabilities as a means to further mitigate COVID-19,” Gov. Wolf said. “These supplies are critical to that goal. We will continue to distribute these supplies as quickly and efficiently as they become available.”

Testing supplies include nasopharyngeal swabs and viral transport media tubes depending on what is requested by facilities. The department sent testing supplies to the following types of entities:

• 42,000 to county and municipal health departments
• 9,640 to laboratories, testing teams, state agencies and medical practices
• 8,542 to hospital and health systems
• 7,070 to long-term care facilities

“Pennsylvania recognizes that increased testing capacity is a critical aspect to successfully reopening the state; especially as certain regions move from aggressive mitigation to containment strategies,” Dr. Levine said. “Even though testing capacity has increased significantly, we will continue to provide necessary testing supplies to our partners across the state so even more Pennsylvanians can be tested and treated for COVID-19.”

As of 12:00 a.m., May 28, there are 625 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 70,042. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. There are 5,373 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 108 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

Kail Introduces Bill to Test All Long-Term Care Residents and Employees for COVID-19

CENTER – Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), in a partnership with a colleague from southeastern Pennsylvania, drafted legislation that would ensure all employees and residents in the Commonwealth’s long-term care facilities are tested for COVID-19.

While Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced a “robust universal testing strategy” this month, it relies only on voluntary compliance and recommends testing just 20% of staff and residents weekly. The guidance applies only to nursing homes and not personal care homes or assisted living facilities – leaving two-thirds of all long-term care facilities without any motivation to test.

Long-term care facilities serve approximately 123,000 residents with 143,000 employees. The coronavirus has severely impacted Pennsylvania’s senior population as demonstrated by the data surrounding positive cases and deaths associated with long-term care facilities. As of May 10, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that approximately 68% of all COVID-19-related deaths occurred in the state’s long-term care facilities.

“If there is one thing that we have learned through this pandemic, it is that we must do better protecting those who are most vulnerable, particularly our seniors in long-term care facilities,” Kail said. “It’s a real shame that universal testing wasn’t used sooner, but now that we know what we know, our seniors must be protected moving forward.”
Recent testing in a congregate care setting in Montgomery County showed 96% of those testing positive for COVID-19 were asymptomatic. Allowing untested, asymptomatic health care workers and long-term care facility residents to continue having contact with one another allows the disease to be passed unknowingly between them.

Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin have committed to testing all long-term care residents.

“This administration has made strides in implementing universal testing at prisons and protecting vulnerable inmates while failing to protect the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians with the same intensity in nursing homes,” Kail said. “The men and women living in long-term care facilities have been harmed the most by this pandemic, and they need our help also.”