Posted on 10/14/2020 12:05:01 PM PDT by lightman
Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine cautioned on Wednesday Pennsylvania is facing a fall resurgence of coronavirus.
“It’s very hard to predict what the future will bring, but we have been talking for months that we were concerned that as we entered the fall season, as the weather started to change, that we would see a resurgence in terms of the numbers of COVID-19,” she said during a news conference at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency offices.
Over the past nine days, Pennsylvania has reported more than 1,000 daily new cases after its latest update said that there were 1,276 new ones as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. In addition, the number of hospitalizations in the state has nearly doubled in the past month with 773 patients currently hospitalized.
“Also, Pennsylvania is clearly not an island, and we are reflecting what the rest of the country is seeing,” Levine added.
She noted across the nation, especially in the Midwest and parts of the West, cases are rising and there is no way to know when the peak will occur or how it will compare to spring.
Fall and winter is traditionally a time when respiratory viruses spread as people spend more time indoors, Levine said, adding the recent spikes have been among younger people, and not just the college age group, but those in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
In recent weeks, several colleges have reported outbreaks with some schools including Temple University resorting to full-time remote classes. Penn State University has seen about 3,355 positive cases to date at its main campus.
The Health Department Secretary said that there are more hospitalizations and a rise in the statewide percent positivity now compared to recent weeks months. She also said that the numbers still do not match what was seen in the spring, and added that a rise in the number of daily testing results is playing a role in the case increases, too.
Compared to the spring, Levine noted Pennsylvania has more resources in its arsenal to fight the spread of COVID-19, including increased testing and more robust case investigation and contact tracing. In addition, she stressed the healthcare system is better prepared with more personal protection equipment.
In the past month, the state also launched a COVID app to track cases and help with contact tracing.
Starting this week, the state will have another tool in the form of weekly shipments of 250,000 COVID-19 antigen “rapid” test kits from the federal government. The test kits will be distributed by need through the end of December to K-12 schools and teachers, colleges, day care workers, health care organizations and drug and alcohol treatment providers, among others.
Pennsylvania is being allocated 3.8 million of the tests, which provide results within 15 minutes. The first ones will be prioritized to counties deemed at high to moderate risk including Bradford, Centre, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Snyder.
“Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 testing goals remain, ensuring testing is accessible for all Pennsylvanians with symptoms of COVID-19,” said Michael Huff, Commonwealth’s testing and contact tracing director.
At this juncture, Levine said the state has no plans “at this time to change the mitigation orders that are already in place." Also, there are no further plans for business restrictions or stay-at-home orders, she said.
While Levine couldn’t link the recent uptick to large gatherings such as President Donald Trump’s rally at Harrisburg International Airport in late September, she said the virus can spread at both large and small events.
“The director of the CDC has said that it really is small gatherings that tend to be driving that and I think we are seeing that in Pennsylvania,” she said.
As far as fans gathering at NFL stadiums for football games such as the Philadelphia Eagles game this weekend, Levine stressed her department has been in communication with Pennsylvania’s two pro teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers. Data from previous NFL games where limited fans were in the stands and followed social distancing and mask use showed no evidence of an increase in cases, she said.
“I think fans should feel safe. I think the Philadelphia Eagles have really robust protections in place for the fans that will be entering,” she said.
‘Wake the fvk up PA!!!!!’
impossibility is just this; impossible...
Second wave is much less pronounced when you look at deaths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Definitely true for Pennsylvania. Their daily deaths have been essentially flat since late July. I don’t see a second wave in the data I’m looking at:
https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/pennsylvania?view=total-deaths&tab=trend
‘COVID-19’s Case Fatality Rate is 2.72% as of right now.’
please do feel free to hide in your basement...
No, he didn't "have it cut off"--he did it himself.
Seriously.
No, he didn't "have it cut off"--he did it himself!
Seriously.
Just in time for the election! They’ll want to extend voting several weeks as a result.
I didn’t know that about her. Mentally unstable like the rest of the demoncrat clowns.
Expect Democrats and MSM to really beat this drum over the next 3 weeks to boost mail in voting. Scare the people literally to death.
Does big dude Rachel still have his mother holed up in the apartment he shipped her to just before he filled up Pa nursing homes with infected patients to drive up Pa’s covid mortality rates?
Yeah, I’m going to take health advice from a man that doesn’t understand how chromosomes work.
Is She no longer the Chick with the Dick (I mean the Richard). Did she have surgery?
No thanks. Factual information doesn’t scare me. Apparently it does you, so you lash out at anyone presenting factual information.
The Case Fatality Rate is defined as the percent of diagnosed cases which resolve in death. Current US diagnosed cases is 8,127,718. The official US COVID-19 death count is 221,460. That’s 2.72%.
If mathematics is that scary for you, wait ‘til somebody shows you science.
Richard had surgery after his DIY castration to stop the bleed and make amends.
He did it in a hospital ER bathroom. As to what became of his offending organ, who knows? Flushed? Dropped into biohazard bag?
Anyway, whenever anyone asks me “Where’s your MASK?” I reply “With Dr. Levine’s DICK”.
“Hey xxxxless, cue up the casedemic, people don’t care anymore and they’re not cowering”
The Secretary celebrated the start of the official PA Fall Covid Resurgence Festival with a fine piece of political theater featuring a splendid costume in subtle seasonal earth tones. The message remained the same, that citizens need to “Follow the Science“ and continue to participate in the statewide masquerade of mask wearing and restraint from gathering together to have anything resembling fun or fellowship, while continuing to help drive the state’s economy even further into a deep hole.
+1
Quick remove your mother..........again
That’s what they say. But only Richardless and its surgeon knows for sure.
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