Spring surge in COVID-19 cases feared
Allegheny County officials expressed concern Wednesday over a rise in COVID-19 cases that could indicate a spring surge is underway.
Allegheny Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said there have been 33 confirmed virus cases of the UK variant in the county.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Bogen said Wednesday during her weekly update on the virus.
She said the variant is 50% more transmissible and more likely to result in hospitalizations.
Allegheny reported 498 new cases Wednesday, a number that jumped by about 300 from recent averages. The county reported 10 new virus deaths.
Bogen urged residents to limit gatherings to small groups, that there appears to be wide community spread of the disease in every setting imaginable.
There have been 31 “breakthrough cases” among the 74,000 county residents who have been fully vaccinated against the virus. Three of those cases resulted in hospitalizations, Bogen said.
The virus has killed 24,876 Pennsylvanians in the past year after 48 new statewide deaths were announced Wednesday, including two in Washington County.
The state Health Department announced 4,667 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total to just under one million. Meanwhile, the decrease in hospitalizations due to the virus has stalled.
Washington County saw 86 new cases, taking its cumulative total to 14,650. Fayette County added 34 new cases to its total of 11,017. Greene County’s case-count grew by nine to 2,791.