Pennsylvania posts 1,258 new coronavirus cases over past 2 days, 7 more deaths

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced a two-day total of 1,258 new coronavirus cases Monday — with 638 coming on Sunday, 620 on Monday.

This was the first weekend in which the state did not release a Sunday covid update, choosing instead to release both numbers on Monday.

From Sept. 7-13, there have been 158,712 total tests administered, yielding 5,127 positive cases.

“We know that congregation, especially over holidays and in college and university settings, yields increased case counts. The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings, and telework will help keep our case counts low.”

Since Saturday, there were 144 cases with a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 646 patients with a positive serology test and either covid symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

The positivity rate over the past two days averaged 5.75%.

The state said there were seven newly reported deaths since Saturday — two from July, two from August and three in September. A total of 7,869 deaths have been attributed to covid-19 in the state.

According to the state’s covid-19 tracking website, there are 472 Pennsylvanians currently hospitalized for the virus, with 59 of them on ventilators.

Of the counties with the most cases over the two-period, Allegheny saw the most, with 142. The others were Centre (102), York (92), Chester (88) and Montgomery (79). Philadelphia, which added 75 cases on Sunday, was not included in the Monday numbers because of a delay in results there.

Over the past two days, there were 11 counties with no new cases and 39 with less than 10 new cases.

Among the state’s nursing and personal care homes, there have been 21,934 resident cases of covid with 4,770 cases among employees. Out of the state’s total deaths, 5,297 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.

A total of 145,063 Pennsylvanians have tested positive since the pandemic began in March, with 1,684,609 individuals testing negative. The state reports about 10,117 of Pennsylvania’s total cases have been among health care workers.