COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: Data Shows Significant Increases In Coronavirus Cases Reported Among Younger People
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- More than nine months into the pandemic, COVID-19 is spreading with a vengeance.
We are seeing record-setting numbers of new cases and hospitalizations on a daily basis.
Pennsylvania has now had more than 411,484 cases since the pandemic began, with more and more cases being announced in every new report. The state added 12,884 new cases Saturday, shattering the record for the most reported cases in a day.
It was the third day in a row where that record was broken. Allegheny County broke its daily case record as well on Saturday with 1,197 new cases, just shy of 1,200.
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In a release, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said they're seeing significant increases in cases among people ages 19 to 24. The anticipated increase in cases that public health officials warned about following Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet.
"The event is usually followed by two or three weeks later you see the increase in cases, which puts it right at the cusp before the Christmas holiday where you gonna have more travel and congregating," Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
Hospitalization rates continue to rise too. More than 5,200 are currently in the hospital with more than a 1,000 patients being cared for in ICUs.
PA Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says at least a third of the hospitals in our region will have staffing shortages in the next week. There are plans to bring patients here to Pittsburgh if hospitals in nearby regions run out of space.
Earlier this week, Dr. Levine recommended people to just stay home for the holidays. She says you should not travel and to celebrate with friends and family remotely. We hear it on a daily basis, but she continues to advise Pennsylvanians to wear your mask, wash your hands regularly and continue social distancing.
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