Pennsylvania Reports 2nd Day Of More Than 800 New COVID-19 Cases
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — For the second day in a row, Pennsylvania health officials report more than 800 new cases of COVID-19. On Saturday, 813 new positives cases were reported, bringing the statewide total to 94,689.
Seventeen new deaths were also reported. The death toll now stands at 6,897.
Of the latest batch of positive test results, 215 came from Allegheny County and Philadelphia increased by 105 cases overnight.
Download The New And Improved CBS Philly App!
On Friday, Pennsylvania hit their highest one-day mark since May 10, with more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections. State officials blamed the rising numbers on crowded bars where people aren't wearing masks and on out-of-state travel to virus hot spots.
"Risky behavior such as going out without a mask and congregating at a bar or in a crowded setting where social distancing isn't being practiced are leading to spikes in cases and higher percent-positive rates," Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release Friday.
There was also a reporting delay because about 175 of those cases arose from private lab results reported together in one batch, according to the state Health Department.
The department reported a statewide testing positivity rate of 4.4% on Friday but said it was concerned with higher rates in a dozen counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Lebanon, Philadelphia, Washington, Westmoreland and York.
On May 10, when state health officials reported 1,295 new infections, the state was conducting far fewer tests, and the positivity rate was much higher, at nearly 17%.
Nearly 94,000 people have contracted the virus statewide since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Health Department data.
As testing becomes more widespread, an increase in the raw number of positive tests is to be expected. But if the virus is being brought under control, then the percentage of positive results relative to the total number of tests should be coming down.
(©Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company contributed to this report.)
