May 26, 2020 2 min read

The number of COVID-19 cases continued Tuesday to trend downward in Pennsylvania as Gov. Tom Wolf planned to jumpstart the economy by allowing more nonessential business to reopen in some counties.

Pennsylvania reported 13 new deaths from the virus Tuesday, the lowest one-day total in weeks.

“We are continuing to make progress,” Wolf said during a Tuesday morning online briefing.

The number of COVID-19 cases were coming down at a time when the state has widely increased the number of testing locations, the governor said.

Wolf will on Friday move 18 counties scattered across Pennsylvania from his yellow caution zone to his green phase, which will allow nonessential businesses such as gyms, bars and restaurants and salons to reopen under social distancing guidelines.

Washington and Greene counties remained in the caution phase of his color-coded reopening plan to boost the economy in stages, and the number of cases there have stabilized.

The virus as of Tuesday had killed 5,152 adults statewide since late March, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said.

The number of new cases statewide grew by 451, taking the total to 68,637 since March 6.

Levine said people still need to be careful and wear masks in public, limit trips and practice social distancing, even in the green phase.

“As we come back together we have to be aware that COVID-19 is a risk,” Levine said.

She also warned parents to closely monitor the health of their young children because there have been nine confirmed cases in the state of the new COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

The syndrome’s symptoms include high fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes, red eyes and abdominal pain, Levine said.

“This is an evolving and changing situation,” she said.