Mar 29, 2020 3 min read

The positive cases of coronavirus continue to rise.

Statewide, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 643 new cases as of early Sunday morning, following an increase of 533 the day before. Four individuals died, raising the number of deaths to 38. Sixteen of those occurred Friday and Saturday.

The Keystone State, according to Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, now has 3,394 positive cases across 58 of 67 counties. She said 110 cases have required intensive care unit treatment, and 64 required ventilators.

Allegheny County likewise experienced a bump, with 46 more cases into early Sunday for a total of 265, the fourth highest figure in the state. Philadelphia (865) and Montgomery (488) counties, in the densely populated southeastern corner, have the most.

Allegheny’s cases are virtually split between males and females, with 35 individuals requiring hospitalization. Two have died.

Only one new positive case was reported in Washington County, which now has 24, while Greene held steady at six. Butler and Westmoreland, with 47 cases each, shared second behind Allegheny in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Beaver has 28 and Fayette, 10.

Levine addressed a number of subjects during her daily news briefing Sunday. Long-term and personal-care homes may have strict visitation guidelines, but she advised family members and friends to not forget residents there. “My mom is in a care home and I can’t visit her,” the secretary said. “But I call her two times a day. Call, send cards or letters, video chat. It’s very important to stay in touch.”

She added that there have been 64 confirmed positive cases in Pennsylvania nursing homes, making up one-tenth of 1% of that population.

Field hospitals have been set up to treat COVID-19 patients at some locations nationwide, including the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Pennsylvania has not, but Levine said two are being prepared in Southeastern Pennsylvania. “They’re not ready yet.”

Numbers of positive cases are relatively small in rural areas, which prompted a reporter to ask whether that is due to a shortage of testing kits. “We’re not surprised there are fewer cases in rural areas because there are smaller populations,” Levine said. “The statistics reflect what we see.”

Some states are dealing with shortages of ventilators and ICU beds, but the health secretary said that is not the case in Pennsylvania. She said the health care system has more than 4,000 ventilators, three-fourths of which are still available, and 3,400 licensed ICU beds, 40% of which are unused.

Levine said the state also has “enough test kits this week to meet the demand. We’re getting a better supply from the federal government and companies. This was a challenge, but the situation is better now.”

The secretary is not Nostradamus, the reputed seer from 16th century France, and declined to predict when the crisis may peak in the state. She did say: “We’re processing all data and we don’t know when.”

Then she invoked a phrase Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, has used frequently: “‘The virus will determine the time line.'”