Pennsylvania COVID-19 Cases Top 65,000 As Death Toll Nears 4,900
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The number of coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania has topped 65,000 as the death toll nears 4,900. On Thursday, health officials reported 980 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total to 65,392.
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Another 102 new deaths were announced, raising the death toll to 4,869. Out of the commonwealth's total deaths, 3,234 have occurred in residents from nursing homes or personal care facilities.
"As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place," Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. "We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19."
Over 303,000 patients have tested negative for the virus.
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Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is working on guidelines to allow sporting events, exhibitions and leagues, both professional and amateur, to get back to "some semblance of normalcy" after practically everything shut down to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday.
In a conference call with reporters, Wolf said he has been in touch with major professional organizations including NASCAR, the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball and others to figure out how they can resume.
He said he expected that his administration will, in the coming days, produce guidelines for the various venues, sports and activities to resume. But, he said, the ultimate success of the events and leagues will rest on whether people feel safe to attend and participate.
"In the end, the ultimate arbiter of our fate here when it comes to sporting events are going to be individuals who want to participate, individuals who want to be part of sports, whether its amateur or professional," Wolf said. "And we've got to make sure that we give them the confidence to then go to these sporting events and feel safe, that they're not taking their lives or health into their hands."
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