The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 625 new coronavirus cases Thursday, raising the statewide total to 70,042.
Across Pennsylvania, 5,373 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including 108 new fatalities reported Thursday. About two-thirds of those deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes.
Nationwide, more than 100,000 people have died due to the coronavirus.
The health department released new data Thursday; the numbers reflect cases and deaths reported as of midnight. There are 357,804 patients who have tested negative, the department said.
New cases have declined in recent weeks. This is the 18th consecutive day with less than 1,000 new cases, according to the health department.
Nursing homes
Across Pennsylvania, 3,501 deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes.
The health department said 15,158 residents of long-term care facilities have contracted the virus, along with 2,563 employees.
Cases have now been found in 600 facilities in 44 counties.
Statewide, 5,279 health care workers have contracted the coronavirus.
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has said repeatedly this week that new cases are declining statewide. While some local pockets may be seeing fluctuations, Levine has said the overall trend is a drop in new cases, even as the state is doing more testing.
Fewer coronavirus patients are being treated in hospitals in recent weeks, and the number of those on ventilators has dropped as well.
Reopening Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf has been gradually reopening Pennsylvania in recent weeks.
On Friday, Dauphin County and seven other counties enter the yellow phase of the governor’s plan to reopen the state. These other counties will move to the yellow phase Friday: Franklin, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, and Schuylkill. On Friday, 57 of the state’s counties will no longer be under a stay-at-home order.
Also Friday, the first counties will move into the green phase, which is the least restrictive. These counties will go green: Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Montour, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango, and Warren counties.
The governor said last week he anticipates the remaining red counties will be lifted from the stay-at-home order by June 5. They include Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery; Berks; Lancaster; Lackawanna, Lehigh and Northampton.
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