Pa. reports 319 new coronavirus deaths, one of highest one-day totals to date

Patriot-News - 12/30/2020

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 319 new deaths tied to COVID-19 Wednesday, one of the largest one-day increases since the coronavirus pandemic began.

With those newly reported fatalities, 15,672 deaths in Pennsylvania have now been tied to COVID-19, according to the health department. The number of deaths tied to COVID-19 has risen substantially over the past month. There have been more COVID-19 deaths in December than any other month.

The state didn’t surpass 10,000 COVID-19 deaths until Nov. 25. On Monday, the state topped 15,000 coronavirus fatalities. Just this month, the state has seen more than 5,000 COVID-19 deaths.

The health department reports 5,962 people are being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals. That’s a dip from a peak of more than 6,300 earlier this month but still about twice as much as the high in the spring. Currently, 1,178 patients are in intensive care units.

In a news conference Monday, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said hospitals and health care systems continue to be challenged with the high number of coronavirus patients.

The state reported 8,984 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, raising the statewide total to 631,333 since the emergence of the pandemic. The number of new infections has declined from a high of nearly 13,000 earlier this month but Levine has warned of the possibility of another spike in the coming weeks tied to holiday gatherings and travel.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Levine have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to continue social distancing.

Earlier this month, Wolf imposed temporary restrictions on businesses, including a three-week ban on indoor dining at restaurants. Wolf also has ordered the closure of entertainment venues, including casinos, theaters and concert halls. Retailers and most other businesses are restricted to 50% of indoor capacity. The governor also suspended scholastic sports.

The temporary measures are set to expire Jan. 4.

More than 96,000 health care workers have received COVID-19 vaccines at Pennsylvania hospitals, according to the health department.

Earlier this week, the Wolf administration said all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties continue to show substantial spread of the coronavirus.

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