Pennsylvania’s coronavirus case counts approached 75,000 on Saturday, as the state sees the numbers ebbing. With the flattening of the curve, Pennsylvania is gradually opening up, with half the counties, including Lehigh and Northampton, in the yellow phase of reopening, and the other half in the green.
By CHRISTINE SCHIAVO THE MORNING CALL
With Pennsylvania reemerging from the coronavirus crisis after three months of lockdown, the tide of new cases has ebbed across the state, with an additional 701 on Saturday, bringing the total to 75,086.
Twenty-five new cases and five deaths were recorded in the Lehigh Valley — 17 cases in Lehigh County and eight in Northampton County. The case counts are now 3,846 in Lehigh County, with 248 deaths; and 3,144 in Northampton County, with 231 deaths.
Lehigh and Northampton counties were among the remaining 10 moving from the red shutdown phase to the yellow phase on Friday, with outdoor dining resuming and retail outlets opening. Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that a dozen counties, including Carbon, will move into the green, or final, reopening phase on Friday. In that phase, which 46 of the 67 counties will be in next week, people can gather in larger groups, albeit while wearing masks and social distancing.
In yellow phase, restrictions on work and social interaction ease, though schools, gyms and hair salons remain closed and large gatherings aren’t permitted.
“The purpose of this phase is to begin to power back up the economy while keeping a close eye on the public health data to ensure the spread of disease remains contained to the greatest extent possible,” Wolf’s office explained in a news release Friday.
The other counties moving into the green on Friday are: Adams, Beaver, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York.
The Health Department unveiled an online dashboard Friday to show county progress as Pennsylvania moves through the COVID-19 phased reopening plan. The dashboard breaks down categories used to determine if a county can move into the next phase of reopening, including the average of cases over a two-week period.
Statewide, the average case count over a 14-day period was at nearly 58 per 100,000 people on Saturday, which is higher than Lehigh County’s 14-day average of 52 but much lower than Northampton County’s average of 76.
The Health Department reported that 45 more Pennsylvanians lost their lives to COVID-19, bringing the state’s deaths to 5,931.
It also reported what appeared to be a record one-day testing total of 11,622 coronavirus tests conducted in pubic and private labs across the state. Public health officials have said widespread testing and contract tracing are essential in tamping down the virus.
Senior content editor Christine Schiavo can be reached at 610-508-1551; cschiavo@mcall.com.
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