Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Officials Say Testing For COVID-19 Getting Easier As Numbers Jump To 41 Across State
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With coronavirus numbers going up across Pennsylvania, including Chester County's first case, officials say testing for COVID-19 is getting easier. The total number of coronavirus cases jumped to 41 on Friday.
It's been slow, but testing has been ramping up at the federal, state and local levels.
There have been a growing number of people with potential exposures to COVID-19, so the number of people in quarantine is expanding.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says the state has broadened its guidelines to allow more people to be tested for COVID-19 and she noted that commercial labs like Lab Corp. can also now do tests.
"If a health care provider feels a patient should be tested, they can order the test now without consulting us," Levine said.
Testing is generally recommended for people with fever and dry cough if there's been direct contact with someone who's infected or if they've traveled to a coronavirus hotspot.
"I want to make it clear that we will, we expect to see a continued increase in the number of people that are tested, and that by itself is not necessarily a bad sign," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said. "As testing becomes more available, we'll be testing more people."
Meanwhile, an Upper Merion EMS provider tested positive for the virus and now 22 coworkers are in quarantine.
This appears to be connected to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia cardiologist who worked in King of Prussia. The doctor was transported by ambulance from his home in Upper Merion with a suspected case that was later confirmed.
A member of that EMS crew is the positive case even though he was wearing protective equipment.
That EMS worker is isolated and recovering at home.
In Pennsylvania, most of the cases appear to be mild and only a few have required hospitalization.
