Update: 4/17/2020 2:20 PM
The Pa Department of Health held its Daily Health Briefing at 2:00 pm. Notes from the briefing are below. You can watch the full briefing HERE.
Gov. Wolf
- Before we can build a better commonwealth, we need to protect our friends and neighbors.
- We rank 5th in the nation for confirmed cases.
- Forty-two days have passed since we've identified the first case of #COVID19 in Pa.
- Our efforts have shown signs of success. We've not had the explosive grown seen in our neighboring states.
- We still have 1,000 to 2,000 new cases a day and are experiencing a shortage of testing materials.
- We are starting to plan for a phased re-opening, but now is not the time to be complacent.
- Re-opening the commonwealth will require the following standards:
- The approach will be data-driven driven and rolled out regionally based on infection statistics.
- The state will share guidance and recommendations for employers, individuals, and health care facilities to assure accountability.
- Re-opening necessitates that adequate PPE and testing are available on mass levels.
- Re-opening requires monitoring and surveillance program to take action if further mitigation is necessary.
- Protections for vulnerable populations must remain in-place throughout the re-opening process.
- Limitations for large gatherings shall stay in place throughout the re-opening process.
- We all want to get back to work and we want to get businesses open as soon as possible, but we must approach this in a measured evidence based way.
- Gov. Wolf did not give a timetable of when this process will start. - "When the time is right we will re-open and liberate every Pennsylvanian."
- Statewide support and referral hotline - 1 (855) 284-2494
- Mental Crisis Text Line. Text 'PA to 741741
- Stay Calm. Stay Home. Stay Safe.
Original Article: 4/17/2020 12:20 PM
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Health shared updated COVID-19 numbers for the state. As of this morning, there are an additional 1,706 positive cases. That brings the total count in PA to 29,441. There have been 756 deaths statewide. 117,932 patients have bested negative. You can see the updated statewide map, HERE.
Breakdown of cases in Western Pennsylvania:
- Allegheny Co.: 947 cases, 43 deaths, 10,199 negatives
- Butler Co.: 157 cases, 5 deaths, 1,682 negatives
- Beaver Co.: 178 cases, 14 deaths, 1,478 negatives
- Washington Co.: 75 cases, 1 deaths, 1,320 negatives
- Greene Co.: 24 cases, 299 negatives
- Fayette Co.: 66 cases, 3 deaths, 1,263 negatives
- Westmoreland Co.: 249 cases, 13 deaths, 3,107 negatives
- Indiana Co.: 45 cases, 3 deaths, 390 negatives
- Armstrong Co.: 32 cases, 2 deaths, 424 negatives
- Clarion Co.: 18 cases, 362 negatives
- Venango Co.: 6 cases, 177 negatives
- Forest Co.: 7 cases, 21 negatives
- Lawrence Co.: 49 cases, 5 deaths, 490 negatives
- Mercer Co.: 56 cases, 1 deaths, 391 negatives
Allegheny County Health Department released their daily update for COVID-19 cases in the area.
As of this morning, there are now 947 positive cases in the county. 176 of those cases (past or present) have required hospitalization. There have been forty-three deaths.
An interactive map of case locations as well as their COVID-19 Dashboard is available HERE.
We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones, and our thoughts go out to all those who have been impacted.
The county’s COVID-19 Dashboard, with additional demographic info, is available by going to http://alleghenycounty.us/coronavirus. It is updated each day by noon and also shares data on race and provides confirmed case info in different age groupings and categories.