Pennsylvania coronavirus cases rise to 19,979; 416 fatalities
Latest coronavirus numbers from around the Delaware Valley
FOX 29's Shaina Humphries reports the latest COVID-19 case numbers from around the Delaware Valley.
PHILADELPHIA - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania has risen to 19,979, with 416 reported fatalities.
The Department of Health confirmed Tuesday that every county now has an infected resident.
FULL COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS
Speaking at the White House's daily task force briefing, Vice President Mike Pence said he spoke to Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday and assured him that the federal government would continue to flow resources to the city.
"Our message to the people of Philadelphia is, now more than ever, is to practice social distancing so that Philadelphia -- and to some extent, even Pittsburgh -- do not have to endure what other communities before them had to endure," Pence said.
Philadelphia reported 5,271 coronavirus cases within the city, with at least 104 fatalities.
Vice President Pence on Philadelphia
Vice President Mike Pence prioritized social distancing in a message to Philadelphia.
“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe.”
A look at the latest developments in Pennsylvania:
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CASES
Below is a breakdown of the cases by county:
– Adams County: 43, including 1 death
– Allegheny County: 788, including 18 deaths
– Armstrong County: 22
– Beaver County: 139, including 13 deaths
– Bedford County: 3
– Berks County: 720, including 12 deaths
– Blair County: 9
– Bradford County: 16
– Bucks County: 958, including 26 deaths
– Butler County: 123, including 3 deaths
– Cambria County: 11, including 1 death
– Cameron County: 1
– Carbon County: 83, including 3 deaths
– Centre County: 61
– Chester County: 485, including 9 deaths
– Clarion County: 10
– Clearfield County: 8
– Clinton County: 6
– Columbia County: 81, including 2 deaths
– Crawford County: 13
– Cumberland County: 96, including 2 deaths
– Dauphin County: 199, including 2 deaths
– Delaware County: 1,377, including 30 deaths
– Elk County: 2
– Erie County: 36
– Fayette County: 49, including 1 death
– Forest County: 5
– Franklin County: 57
– Fulton County: 1
– Greene County: 21
– Huntingdon County: 8
– Indiana County: 26
– Jefferson County: 1
– Juniata County: 30
– Lackawanna County: 346, including 18 deaths
– Lancaster County: 648, including 21 deaths
– Lawrence County: 45, including 3 deaths
– Lebanon County: 218, including 1 death
– Lehigh County: 1,562, including 16 deaths
– Luzerne County: 1,325 including 15 deaths
– Lycoming County: 17]8
– Mckean County: 1
– Mercer County: 36
– Mifflin County: 11
– Monroe County: 752, including 19 deaths
– Montgomery County: 1,889, including 50 deaths
– Montour County: 29
– Northampton County: 994, including 21 deaths
– Northumberland County: 29
– Perry County: 16, including 1 death
– Philadelphia County: 5,793, including 137 deaths
(Note: Philadelphia cases listed may differ from reporting on health.pa.gov website.)
– Pike County: 190, including 6 deaths
– Potter County: 3
– Schuylkill County: 164, including 1 death
– Snyder County: 12, including 1 death
– Somerset County: 10
– Sullivan County: 1
– Susquehanna County: 22, including 2 deaths
– Tioga County: 11
– Union County: 12
– Venango County: 5
– Warren County: 1
– Washington County: 66
– Wayne County: 53
– Westmoreland County: 202, including 5 deaths
– Wyoming County: 6
– York County: 283, including 3 deaths
WHAT WE KNOW
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The vast majority of people recover.
This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round magenta objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. (NIAID-RML)
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The Pennsylvania Department of Education has extended state school closures indefinitely.
The school shutdown order affects more than 1.7 million school children, in public and private K-12 schools.
Philadelphia officials hold press conference on COVID-19 pandemic
Officials provide an update on the latest coronavirus developments in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia officials have issued a stay-at-home order and banned public gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Anyone with questions about COVID-19 can call the city's free 24/7 helpline at 1-800-722-7112.
Residents can also text the keyword COVIDPHL to 888-777 to receive updates through ReadyPhiladelphia, the city's mass communication system.
Philadelphia officials are providing meal service for students while schools remain closed.
For more information, including available pick-up sites, see here.
(Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Gov. Tom Wolf has placed all of Pennsylvania under an order to stay at home, dramatically expanding the geographic footprint of the quarantine as state officials combat the coronavirus pandemic.
In one stroke, Wolf added 34 counties to his stay-home edict, meaning that residents of all 67 of Pennsylvania's counties must now stay home as much as possible to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The order will last through at least April 30.
With coronavirus infections continuing to rise dramatically in the state, Wolf called a statewide quarantine "the most prudent option."
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(Pexels)
Businesses that remain open to the public include grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels and motels, beer distributors, laundromats and gas stations. Restaurants are only open for take-out orders. The open list also includes farms, mines, food production and some manufacturing.
Car dealers, clothing stores and other retailers, salons and entertainment venues are among those on the shuttered list.
Pennsylvania residents should wear face coverings in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, Wolf said Friday.
Wolf urged Pennsylvanians to make their own cloth masks and put them on when they go to the grocery store, pharmacy and other places where people congregate. He spoke a few hours before the federal government issued its own recommendation for Americans to wear face coverings.
“Wearing a mask will help us cut down the possibility that we might be infecting an innocent bystander, like that grocery store cashier, the pharmacist, or someone stocking shelves,” he said. “These folks are keeping us alive by getting us the supplies we need. We owe it to them to do everything we can to keep them safe. Right now, that means wearing a mask.”
He added that residents should refrain from wearing the short-supply N95 respirator masks and other medical-grade masks worn by health care workers.
The Department of Health posted guidance on masks on its website.
(Alejandro Barba/Unsplash)
PHILLY CASH CRUNCH
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the city is reworking its proposed $5.2 billion budget, warning that tax collections are down dramatically and that the city faces substantial economic headwinds.
The pandemic will likely result in a “painful” reduction of city services, Kenney said. He would not rule out furloughs or layoffs.
“When there’s no money, there’s no money,” Kenney said. “We haven’t been taking in hardly anything.”
(Office of Gov. Tom Wolf)
FLAGS LOWERED
Wolf ordered flags at all state buildings and grounds to be lowered to half-staff until further notice to honor victims of the pandemic. He invited all Pennsylvania residents to follow suit.
“Too many Pennsylvanians have lost their lives to COVID-19, and, unfortunately, many more will die,” Wolf said in a written statement.
“This virus prevents us from honoring the dead at traditional gatherings. We cannot have funerals, wakes, or sit shiva. I hope this flag lowering provides some solace to the grieving families and friends,” he wrote.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.