The most recent state data show less than 160 people in the Murrysville Star’s coverage area have had confirmed cases of coronavirus since the start of the international pandemic in March, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The health department on Monday released data showing there were 159 confirmed cases of the virus in the three ZIP codes that comprise the Star’s coverage area. The health department keeps a count of cases and test results for communities based on ZIP codes.
The largest number of cases, 82, originated in the 15668 ZIP code, which is strictly Murrysville.
The 15632 ZIP code, which encompasses Export, much of eastern Murrysville and a slice of Washington Township, shows 56 confirmed cases.
And there have been 21 confirmed cases in the 15626 ZIP code, which includes Delmont along with small slivers of Murrysville and Salem Township.
The data also show 3,462 negative test results in those areas.
In local schools, Franklin Regional officials notified parents Oct. 8 of a confirmed coronavirus case at Franklin Regional Middle School, but said that state health officials told them no additional students or staff needed to quarantine, based on their contact tracing efforts.
According to the state’s covid-19 tracking website, in Westmoreland County there have been 2,694 confirmed cases, 210 probable cases, 46,301 negative tests and 64 deaths since the outbreak began.
Despite a small spike in late June and early July, Westmoreland County’s daily confirmed case counts have remained relatively low until a sharp uptick beginning in late September. Since then, the county has set a new daily record multiple times in the past seven days.
There are 37 county residents in the hospital for the virus, four of them on a ventilator.
