New reported cases of covid-19 trending lower in Allegheny County

For the third straight day, Allegheny County reported new covid-19 case numbers under 100.

The county’s Department of Health announced Monday 68 new cases of covid-19, along with one new report of hospitalization and no new deaths.

Not since late June has the county posted a three-day stretch of new case numbers in only double digits.

In the past 24 hours, the county has received 1,104 test results. The new cases range in age from 8 to 96 years old, with a median age of 37 years. The date of positive tests have a nearly one-month range — from July 9-Aug. 2.

There are 135 people currently hospitalized for covid-19 in Allegheny County, according to the state’s covid-19 dashboard — 32 of them on ventilators.

On Friday, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said hospitalizations appear to have peaked about two weeks ago.

During a press conference Monday, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said that the reporting mechanism the state is using to determine the number of people hospitalized at any given time changed last week at the request of the White House.

“Previously, all of the hospitals had been reporting to the CDC and … Pennsylvania using a specific database,” she said. “The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services federally is now requiring hospitals to report to them using a different database.”

The county’s website says there have been outcomes in 5,395 cases so far — 5,153 are assumed to be recovered and 242 have died. In cases with an outcome, the recovery rate is more than 95%. Out of of the county’s total of 8,310 covid-19 cases, there are still 2,915 cases without an assumed outcome.

On its website, the county says, “Recovery is a calculation from the CDC … based on one of two conditions: 32 days have passed after a person was hospitalized for covid-19 and not deceased or 14 days have passed after a person tested positive … and they were not hospitalized.”

At the Allegheny County Jail, officials report no new instances of covid-19 infections. As it stands 34 inmates and 11 employees have tested positive since March 13. Only one covid-19-positive inmate remains in the facility, with 33 having either recovered or been released. A total of 321 inmates have been tested, with 276 testing negative. The county reports one inmate’s test is still pending.

Among workers, 97 have been tested, with 80 being negative. Six tests among employees are pending.

Health officials continue to urge residents to wear masks, wash their hands and maintain physical distance from others to keep the community safe.