COVID-19 cases appear to be slightly decreasing in state, region
The Gov. Tom Wolf administration has no plans this week to reopen indoor dining at restaurants while new COVID-19 cases seem to have reached a plateau, the state Health Department said.
State Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Monday that she will meet with Wolf and announce later in the week if he will lift the temporary mitigation efforts he put in place until Jan. 4 to slow a surge in virus cases and deaths.
“We cannot let our guard down,” Levine said Monday during a virtual meeting with the media.
Meanwhile, the Allegheny Health Department said Monday that the drop in new cases likely resulted in fewer people being tested over the holiday weekend.
The Allegheny department said it expects another increase in new cases linked to holiday travel and gatherings.
The virus has killed 15,086 Pennsylvanians since March after 203 new deaths were reported over the weekend, including two in Washington County.
The state announced 8,663 new virus cases over the past 48 hours, bringing the statewide cumulative total to 613,804. There were 747 patients using ventilators Monday morning in hospitals due to the virus, Levine said.
Washington County added 48 new cases, taking its total to 8,438. There was one new death reported in Fayette County and 17 new cases added to its total of 6,688. Greene County added nine new cases to its total of 1,574.