Apr 6, 2020 2 min read

The number of new, daily COVID-19 cases appear to have come down in Pennsylvania, but many people are sick with the virus, which is still killing people statewide, Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday.

Staying home “seems to be making a difference,” Wolf said during an afternoon briefing on the disease.

“It’s good news,” said state health Secretary Rachel Levine when she joined Wolf in the livestream briefing.

“However, it is way too early to tell if we are seeing a true plateau,” Levine said, while urging people to stay at home to protect health-care workers and save lives.

Wolf on April 1 expanded his stay-at-home order to all counties in Pennsylvania, where nonessential businesses have also been shuttered over the virus.

Wolf, who entered the briefing wearing what appeared to be a homemade mask, said he urged manufacturers to pivot to producing COVID-19 supplies and submit their information to a new portal under his call-to-action plan. The portal can be found at the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s website, https://dced.pa.gov.

Levine said hospitals are still preparing for a surge in new patients who would put a strain on them and COVID-19 supplies.

COVID-19 claimed a dozen lives since midnight Saturday in Pennsylvania, taking the death toll from the disease in the state to 162 by midnight Sunday, the state Department of Health said.

There were 1,470 new cases statewide at midnight Sunday, bringing Pennsylvania’s total to 12,980, with the virus present in 65 of the state’s 67 counties. The number of new cases dropped by 23 from the previous day.

Because of widespread community spread of the virus, Wolf last week urged Pennsylvanians to wear masks when venturing into places such as grocery stores and pharmacies.

There were no deaths from the virus reported in Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties, where the number of new positive cases appeared to be slowing.

Washington County reported 53 coronavirus cases, up three from Saturday. Greene County’s total stood at 12, while Westmoreland County recorded 157 cases, up by 10 from Saturday.

Allegheny County reported 642 cases, up 37 from Sunday, in a county where four people have died from the virus.

Levine said 40% of intensive-care beds remained available statewide Monday, and that 70% of ventilator supplies were still on hand.