COVID-19 cases still on the rise
The number of COVID-19 cases has more than doubled in Washington County since they began to stabilize a month ago.
The county Monday added 23 new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 318. The case count stood at 156 June 16 when no new one-day cases of the novel coronavirus were reported.
Washington County Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan said the commissioners had no plans to close businesses again to slow the spread of the virus, that such a decision would have to come from Gov. Tom Wolf.
“We are encouraging masking,” Irey Vaughan said Monday.
Wolf said the state’s strategy on moving forward involved increasing contact tracing and testing efforts, that he wanted to hear from county commissions about their suggestions on dealing with increased COVID-19 numbers.
Greene County’s case-count increased Monday by three to 47, the state Health Department said.
Allegheny County, where numbers have surged in the past week, was being watched closely, Wolf said Monday. Allegheny reported 218 new cases of the virus Monday and one new death from the disease.
All Pennsylvania counties are being closely monitored by the Wolf administration as the state moves through the reopening process, said Lyndsay Kensinger, Wolf’s spokeswoman.
“To this point, Pennsylvania has been a model for the country on how to reopen effectively using a careful, measured approach,” Kensinger said. “However, the virus has not gone away. We must continue to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others by wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands frequently.”