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Pennsylvania continues to see downward trend in COVID-19 cases

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Pennsylvania as being one of three states in the nation to see a downward path in the number of COVID-19 cases in more than 42 days, Gov. Tom Wolf said.

That doesn’t mean the virus is over and that Pennsylvanians should become complacent about wearing face masks in public, Wolf and state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Wednesday.

“Masks actually do work,” Wolf said. “If we don’t wear them the enemy is going to get us.”

He said Pennsylvania’s downward trend in new virus cases comes at a time when 24 states in the nation are experiencing novel coronavirus spikes. The other two states with a downward trajectory are Hawaii and Montana.

Wolf attributed Pennsylvania’s downward trend in cases to his administration acting swiftly to close nonessential businesses and issue a stay-at-home order, which has since been lifted.

The virus has killed 6,319 people statewide since late March after 43 new deaths were announced Wednesday. The state announced 335 new cases of the virus, taking its total to 79,818.

While Washington County saw two new cases of the virus Wednesday, bringing its total to 158, Greene County remained at 30 cases.

Levine said 75% of the people statewide who have tested positive for the virus have recovered.

She said wearing a mask is a “relatively easy but effective” tool to slowing the spread of the virus.

“Recently, more studies show that masks prevent people from unknowingly giving COVID-19 to others,” Wolf added. “This includes peer-reviewed studies published in scientific journals like The New England Journal of Medicine.”

Levine also urged residents who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma because it may help others if the virus surges in the fall.

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