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Coronavirus Pennsylvania: Health Officials Say All Counties Need To Prepare For Surge As Cases Top 7,000 Statewide

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The number of coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania now stands over 7,000 after more than 1,200 additional cases were reported on Thursday. Health officials reported 1,211 new positive COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total to 7,016.

The Pennsylvania Health Department also announced 16 more deaths, raising the coronavirus death toll to 90.

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All but five of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have at least one COVID-19 case.

In a press conference on Thursday morning, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said they are working with researchers to come up with models for the spread, but there are limits. Levine said all counties need to prepare for a surge in cases.

"None of us know exactly when that surge will occur, and it won't be one day that occurs. It will be over time. So we are working with the hospitals, with the health systems, with the hospital association, to prepare for this surge, which all models will say will occur over the next weeks or a month," Levine said. "The most important thing to remember is we need to prevent this surge from potentially overwhelming the health care system."

Levine added that's why the statewide stay-at-home order is critical to preventing the virus' spread.

In Philadelphia, the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 2,100 as Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley reported 425 new cases. Farley also said two more people have died from the virus in the city, bringing the death toll to 17.

Farley added that they are seeing more clusters of infections in group settings, including nursing homes and jails.

The testing site at Citizens Bank Park has been closed for the rest of the day due to high winds. The site will reopen Friday at 1 p.m.

In Montgomery County, health officials reported two more deaths, bringing the county total to 12. The latest deaths involved a 79-year-old man from Springfield Township and and 86-year-old man from Upper Providence. There are a total of 707 COVID-19 cases in the county.

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In Bucks County, six people have died and more than 400 have tested positive, but County Health Director Dr. Dave Damsker said the new cases numbers in the last few days could signal good news.

"Even though we are continuing to get between 35 to 55 cases every single day, we have seemed to have sort of reached an equilibrium," Damsker said.

He does remind county residents that the case numbers are no doubt higher based on interviews with family and friends with similar symptoms.

On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf placed all of Pennsylvania under a stay-at-home order through April 30.

"Some of you might think that a month is too long to go without seeing your friends and family, but if we don't do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19, there are some people you will never see again," Wolf said.

Statewide, over 47,000 patients have tested negative.

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