Jul 14, 2020 3 min read

As coronavirus cases continue to surge, parents in the Southeastern Greene School District have been told that a student participating in extracurricular activities has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a letter posted Monday afternoon on the district’s Facebook page, the district said the state Department of Health had been notified, noting that all extracurricular activities are canceled until July 27, when the situation will be reassessed. Additional details on the case were not provided.

Many of the first people who tested positive in Pennsylvania when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the state in March were young adults between the ages of 19 and 49, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Monday.

And then the virus spread to the vulnerable and older adults before it quickly moved to nursing homes, Levine said.

“This pattern is now repeating,” she said during a Monday afternoon press briefing.

“There are things we can do now to stop this cycle. Wear a mask,” she said.

She also said Pennsylvanians need to adapt their actions and make smart choices when going to public places.

“If you go into a restaurant and it’s packed, leave. There is no way to social distance if they are not following the rules.”

Southwestern Pennsylvania and especially Allegheny County have been experiencing surges in cases of the virus, especially among young adults who have admitted to crowding bars and not wearing masks.

Allegheny County reported 71 new cases Monday, marking the first time in two weeks that the daily increase fell below numbers that reached into the hundreds.

The virus has killed 6,911 Pennsylvania residents since late March after seven new deaths were announced Monday.

Washington County’s case count increased by seven to 454, while Greene County remained at 70.

Levine said the state’s numbers will likely show more of an increase today or Wednesday due to a delay in reporting over the weekend and from commercial labs.

She also confirmed a meeting last Tuesday with county commissioners, including Washington County and others in the Pittsburgh region, where additional mitigation strategies were discussed.

The meeting set off a panic among some restaurant owners who were told by commissioners that Levine was considering moving some of those counties back to the yellow phase of reopening.

Levine said Monday that she decided to “hold off” on making changes after taking another look at the data.

She said Pennsylvania has been able to prevent a strain on its health care systems unlike states including Florida, Texas and Arizona, where cases are skyrocketing.