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A man protecting himself from the elements and the coronavirus in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 14,755 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, covering a two-day period because of the holiday.
Across Pennsylvania, 605,141 people have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic early this year.
Statewide, 14,883 deaths have been tied to the virus, including 139 reported by Thursday night and 26 reported on Christmas, the health department said.
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Pennsylvania has seen a December surge in cases, with daily numbers climbing above 10,000 – five times the worst seen in spring – and the number of deaths sometimes topping 200 per day.
The number of hospitalizations also has risen dramatically in recent weeks. According to the health department, 5,925 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized. Of those, 1,196 are in intensive care units.
A state shutdown on indoor dining, youth sports, indoor gyms and casinos is in effect until Jan. 4. Some restaurants violating the ban have been warned or even shut down.
Testing has increased from the spring, but so has the percentage of those tests proving to be positive. Of those who’ve had a test in the past seven days, 15.8% were positive. Anything over 5% shows significant community spread of COVID-19.
Most of the patients hospitalized, and most of those who’ve died, are ages 65 or older, the state said. Nursing homes have struggled with the spread of the virus.
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