Gov. Wolf Says Local Counties With Percent Positivity Above 5 Percent Are 'Cause For Concern'
HARRISBURG (KDKA) - Gov. Tom Wolf says a percent positivity above 5 percent -- which is where six southwestern Pa. counties are sitting -- is "cause for concern."
The governor released a weekly update based on the "Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard" which compares July 10-16 to the previous seven days.
Counties with a percent positivity above 5 percent include Beaver (8.2 percent), Allegheny (7.5 percent), Washington (6.2 percent), Indiana (6.1 percent), Lawrence (6.1 percent) and Westmoreland (5.0 percent).
The Wolf administration says these counties, along with York, Lebanon, Philadelphia and Dauphin, "bear watching."
The statewide percent positivity is 4.4. percent.
"By looking at both statewide status and individual county status, and seeing cause for concern with case increases and percent-positivity above 5 percent in multiple counties, we took steps to stop increases before they become critical by implementing new mitigation efforts Wednesday," Gov. Wolf said.
Earlier this week, the Wolf administration issued new orders restricting indoor dining to 25 percent capacity and banning on-site consumption of alcohol unless its served with a meal. There are also restrictions on large gatherings, and telework is mandated if possible.
Gov. Wolf said Wednesday there are three "catalysts" for increases in cases.
He says people aren't wearing masks or following social distancing guidelines when they are out at bars and restaurants. He's also pointing to people traveling out of state -- both those coming back to Pennsylvania and those visiting Pennsylvania -- and "a lack of national coordination."
The state has an "Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard" that you can view online to track coronavirus data.
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