PA health department reports 43 new COVID deaths as emergency declaration set to expire

Jackie Starkey
·2 min read
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Holding with recent weeks, new cases of COVID-19 reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health continued to decline.

The latest data from the state health agency show 1,027 new cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus for the most recent reporting period, April 26 to May 2. That’s roughly half the cases reported during the prior week.

Those figures only account for tests reported to the state agency — not those detected by at-home test kits, for example — as requirements around reporting on the coronavirus pandemic shift.

The federal government, along with many state governments, will end the national public health emergency declaration related to the pandemic Thursday, May 11. Additionally, the World Health Organization said Friday it no longer considers COVID-19 a “global health emergency.”

In addition to declining cases, Pennsylvania also saw fewer deaths from the virus in the most recent reporting week. The state surpassed the 51,000 COVID-death mark this week with 43 new fatalities. That compares to 53 the week before and 86 two weeks prior.

Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared news the virus fell to the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2022, according to preliminary data, down from third in 2021 and 2020.

According to CDC data through Wednesday, more than 1.13 million COVID deaths have been recorded in the U.S., and 1,109 were reported just in the last week nationwide.

As for hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in the Keystone State, data updated by the health agency Wednesday show 259 individuals receiving treatment, down from 290 a week prior. The number of individuals in adult intensive care units held steady at 23, and 20 people were on ventilators, up by four.

COVID-19 community levels in Pennsylvania

The CDC updated its COVID-19 community levels for U.S. counties Thursday, and reports one Pennsylvania area is at a medium level.

Crawford County sits at the elevated level, with 10 new confirmed hospitalizations in as of Tuesday.

This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 community levels by county as of Friday, May 5, 2023. Crawford County, yellow, is at medium, while the rest are at low. Zero Pennsylvania counties are at high, orange, this week.
This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 community levels by county as of Friday, May 5, 2023. Crawford County, yellow, is at medium, while the rest are at low. Zero Pennsylvania counties are at high, orange, this week.

In counties at medium, the CDC recommends those at greater risk for severe illness and death mask in public. The guidance, under paired back recommendations, extends to all individuals in counties at high.

The community levels are updated weekly based on totals of new confirmed cases and hospital admissions, as well as a seven-day average for the percent of occupied hospital beds taken by COVID patients.

Centre County remains at a low community level, with 13 new cases, per the CDC, and a positivity rate of 2.4%.

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