Pa. Health Dept. Confirms 1,421 New Coronavirus Cases, Statewide Case Total Climbs To 37,053

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health is reporting 1,421 additional positive cases of Coronavirus statewide Thursday.

But the department has slashed the state's COVID-19 death toll by 201, saying probable deaths it had previously included in the count require more investigation.

"So today you're actually going to see a decrease in our probable cases, specifically our probable deaths," Dr. Levine said at a Thursday briefing.

The death toll stood at 1,421 on Thursday, down from 1,622 reported a day earlier. The number of deaths confirmed by a positive virus test actually rose overnight by 69.

But Health Secretary Rachel Levine says hundreds of probable deaths need further investigation and have been removed from the official toll. A probable death is one in which a coroner lists COVID-19 as the cause or contributing cause, but the deceased was not tested for the virus.

Dr. Levine said there is also some changes in county death tolls as more information is learned about the deaths.

"We've had counties that have had changes in their count from day to day because the county of their residence was different than where they passed away," Dr. Levine went on to say. "And I know that's difficult to understand, but that's how the CDC reports deaths."

The Health Department says all 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. Current patients are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

To see new trend statistics from the state, visit the Health Department's website here.

State health officials say 142,061 patients have tested negative for the virus.

State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said, "As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing. We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders."

Across the state, nearly 39% of the cases have been diagnosed in the 25-49 age group. Nearly 28% percent of cases have been diagnosed in people between the ages of 50-64, and 25% in the 65 or older age group

Here is the full age breakdown from the state:

• Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
• Nearly 39% are aged 25-49;
• Nearly 28% are aged 50-64; and
• Nearly 25% are aged 65 or older.

The state health numbers show there are 5,679 resident cases of COVID-19 in nursing and personal care homes across Pennsylvania. Among employees, there are 673 diagnosed cases. That brings the entire total to 6,352. Out of the total deaths across Pennsylvania, state officials say 849 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.

Locally, Allegheny County health officials confirmed 1,149 positive and probable cases on Thursday. Allegheny County has 69 deaths, Beaver County has the second highest county in Western Pennsylvania with 46. Westmoreland County has had 17 deaths.

The Allegheny County Health Department lowered their death county today after finding duplicates in data from state. According to the data from the state's county-by-county chart, it looks as though Beaver and Westmoreland counties have done the same.

Here is the state's county-by-county breakdown:

• Adams -- Total Cases 95; Negatives 1286; Deaths 1
• Allegheny -- Total Cases 1149; Negatives 12625; Deaths 69
• Armstrong -- Total Cases 43; Negatives 552; Deaths 2
• Beaver -- Total Cases 319; Negatives 1667; Deaths 46
• Bedford -- Total Cases 20; Negatives 129; Deaths 1
• Berks -- Total Cases 2212; Negatives 4408; Deaths 86
• Blair -- Total Cases 15; Negatives 675; Deaths 0
• Bradford -- Total Cases; Negatives 28 466; Deaths 2
• Bucks -- Total Cases 2131; Negatives 6414; Deaths 116
• Butler -- Total Cases 164; Negatives 1944; Deaths 6
• Cambria -- Total Cases 20; Negatives 760; Deaths 1
• Cameron -- Total Cases 1; Negatives 23; Deaths 0
• Carbon -- Total Cases 155; Negatives 837; Deaths 9
• Centre -- Total Cases 76; Negatives 718; Deaths 1
• Chester -- Total Cases 989; Negatives 4322; Deaths 64
• Clarion -- Total Cases 20; Negatives 391; Deaths 1
• Clearfield -- Total Cases 11; Negatives 357; Deaths 0
• Clinton -- Total Cases 14; Negatives 138; Deaths 0
• Columbia -- Total Cases 245; Negatives 332; Deaths 7
• Crawford -- Total Cases 19; Negatives 559; Deaths 0
• Cumberland -- Total Cases 229; Negatives 1053; Deaths 7
• Dauphin -- Total Cases 445; Negatives 2733; Deaths 16
• Delaware -- Total Cases 2902; Negatives 6967; Deaths 119
• Elk -- Total Cases 2; Negatives 129; Deaths 0
• Erie -- Total Cases 68; Negatives 1416; Deaths 0
• Fayette -- Total Cases 71; Negatives 1475; Deaths 3
• Forest -- Total Cases 7; Negatives 21; Deaths 0
• Franklin -- Total Cases 151; Negatives 2367; Deaths 1
• Fulton -- Total Cases 2; Negatives 58; Deaths 0
• Greene -- Total Cases 25; Negatives 358; Deaths 0
• Huntingdon -- Total Cases 20; Negatives 207; Deaths 0
• Indiana -- Total Cases 59; Negatives 488; Deaths 4
• Jefferson -- Total Cases 4; Negatives 273; Deaths 0
• Juniata -- Total Cases 77; Negatives 82; Deaths 0
• Lackawanna -- Total Cases 707; Negatives 1762; Deaths 58
• Lancaster -- Total Cases 1359; Negatives 6267; Deaths 72
• Lawrence -- Total Cases 61; Negatives 585; Deaths 5
• Lebanon -- Total Cases 544; Negatives 2128; Deaths 6
• Lehigh -- Total Cases 2418; Negatives 6205; Deaths 43
• Luzerne -- Total Cases 1880; Negatives 3733; Deaths 58
• Lycoming -- Total Cases 44; Negatives 876; Deaths 0
• McKean -- Total Cases 5; Negatives 141; Deaths 0
• Mercer -- Total Cases 60; Negatives 560; Deaths 1
• Mifflin -- Total Cases 24; Negatives 573; Deaths 0
• Monroe -- Total Cases 1024; Negatives 2167; Deaths 42
• Montgomery -- Total Cases 3395; Negatives 13442; Deaths 204
• Montour -- Total Cases 47; Negatives 2941; Deaths 0
• Northampton -- Total Cases 1656; Negatives 5341; Deaths 45
• Northumberland -- Total Cases 82; Negatives 355; Deaths 0
• Perry -- Total Cases 23; Negatives 145; Deaths 1
• Philadelphia -- Total Cases 10090; Negatives 22384; Deaths 271
• Pike -- Total Cases 327; Negatives 1031; Deaths 12
• Potter -- Total Cases 4; Negatives 68; Deaths 0
• Schuylkill -- Total Cases 290; Negatives 1600; Deaths 5
• Snyder -- Total Cases 31; Negatives 154; Deaths 1
• Somerset -- Total Cases 20; Negatives 427; Deaths 0
• Sullivan -- Total Cases 1; Negatives 25; Deaths 0
• Susquehanna -- Total Cases 72; Negatives 198; Deaths 4
• Tioga -- Total Cases 14; Negatives 191; Deaths 1
• Union -- Total Cases 30; Negatives 447; Deaths 0
• Venango -- Total Cases 7; Negatives 199; Deaths 0
• Warren -- Total Cases 1; Negatives 138; Deaths 0
• Washington -- Total Cases 92; Negatives 1722; Deaths 2
• Wayne -- Total Cases 87; Negatives 430; Deaths 3
• Westmoreland -- Total Cases 307; Negatives 3801; Deaths 17
• Wyoming -- Total Cases 17; Negatives 90; Deaths 1
• York -- Total Cases 546; Negatives 5705; Deaths 7

More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:

• CDC Coronavirus Information
• CDC Global Map of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
• Pennsylvania Department of Health Information
• Pennsylvania County-By-County Map
• Allegheny County Health Department Information

The entire state remains under a Stay-At-Home Order. Also, all non-life-sustaining businesses have been ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide indefinitely.

A mandate is also now in place for mask wearing if you are going out for essentials.

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