PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 News is committed to keeping you informed about the coronavirus, the impact on our community and your lives. Below you’ll find all of today’s updates, including the latest numbers and information from local and state officials.
We’re also covering positive stories in our communities. You can find the most recent ones HERE.
Have questions about the spread of the coronavirus? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak. CLICK HERE for more.
- TIMELINE: Pennsylvania coronavirus updates April 21
- PA CORONAVIRUS MAP: See the number of cases in each county, zip code
- LIVE UPDATES: Latest national, world coronavirus news
- Here are positive things happening within our community
Gov. Wolf outlines plan for reopening parts of Pennsylvania
UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine held their daily news conference at 7 p.m. tonight and outlines the plan for reopening Pennsylvania in stages.
Wolf said the commonwealth is partnering with several organizations to model the spread of the virus, including Carnegie Melon University.
During the news conference, Wolf outlined the three stages of how Pennsylvania will handling reopening.
The red stage is where we currently are. Under the yellow stage, some businesses will be allowed to reopen but businesses where people gather will remain closed. Finally, the green stage will see most restrictions lifted.
While some parts of the state where there has been limited spread of coronavirus could begin to reopen as soon as May 8, Wolf cautioned that that date could shift or areas that reopen could be closed again if there is a COVID-19 spike.
Click here to read more about Gov. Wolf’s order.
Eighth Port Authority employee tests positive for COVID-19
UPDATE 6:26 p.m.:Another Port Authority employee has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a release Wednesday.
Officials said this employee, unlike several others who have tested positive so far, is not a bus driver. Rather, this person works in maintenance at the organization’s garage in West Mifflin.
The employee last worked on April 10 and has been in self-quarantine ever since.
Below is the full release from PAT officials:
"An eighth Port Authority employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
"The employee works in maintenance at the Authority’s garage in West Mifflin. They last worked on Friday, April 10, and has been in self-quarantine at home since then.
"Although the employee worked in the same areas as three other employees who tested positive in the past week, none have been inside the facility since Saturday, when Port Authority brought in an outside cleaning company to disinfect the building.
"As an additional precaution, Port Authority has reduced its maintenance team at this location to a skeleton crew for the next two weeks in an effort to prevent further spread.
“The Authority has more than 2,600 employees, including 1,300 operators and 800 mechanics. As of this morning, Port Authority had 76 employees being held out of work pending COVID-19 testing. Forty-eight employees have returned to work since testing negative.”
2 additional airmen of 911th Airlift Wing mobilized to help with COVD-19 response
UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: The 911th Airlift Wing has mobilized two more Airmen in response to COVID-19 response efforts.
They will be providing medical assistance to medical providers, first responders, and other local authorities in support of Joint Task Force New York – New Jersey. The Airmen departed Pittsburgh this morning and join the 770 Air Force Reserve members who have deployed in support of pandemic relief efforts to date.
Wednesday’s numbers from PA Department of Health
UPDATE 12:00 p.m.: According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health there are 1,156 additional positive cases of coronavirus in the state, bringing the total number to 35,684 cases.
State officials said there were 58 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus among positive and probable positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 1,622.
Of the total cases, 2,298 of them are in our area. Here is a breakdown by local counties:
- Allegheny Co.: 1,088 cases, 74 deaths
- Butler Co.: 164 cases, 7 deaths
- Beaver Co.: 317 cases, 47 deaths
- Washington Co.: 87 cases, 2 deaths
- Greene Co.: 25 cases
- Fayette Co.: 70 cases, 3 deaths
- Westmoreland Co.: 300 cases, 25 deaths
- Armstrong Co.: 39 cases, 2 deaths
- Indiana Co.: 56 cases, 4 deaths
- Clarion Co.: 19 cases, 1 death
- Venango Co.: 6 cases
- Forest Co.: 7 cases
- Lawrence Co.: 61 cases, 6 deaths
- Mercer Co.: 59 cases, 1 death
There are 136,272 people who have tested negative so far.
Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:
- Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
- Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
- 1% are aged 13-18;
- Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
- Nearly 39% are aged 25-49;
- Nearly 28% are aged 50-64; and
- 25% are aged 65 or older.
In nursing and personal care homes, there are 5,337 resident cases of COVID-19, and 617 cases among employees, for a total of 5,954 at 407 distinct facilities in 39 counties. Out of our total deaths, 845 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.
In Allegheny County, there are 33 facilities with COVID-19 cases. At those facilities, 199 residents and 69 employees have tested positive and there have been 48 deats, according to the state.
Gov. Wolf encourages voters to apply for a mail-in ballot
UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Governor Tom Wolf encouraged registered voters Wednesday to apply for a mail-in ballot for the June 2 primary election, as Pennsylvania continues to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
Registered voters can apply online for a mail-in or absentee ballot at votespa.com. The deadline is 5 p.m., May 26. Voters have until 8 p.m. on election day to return their completed ballot.
The new deadline to register to vote or update a voter registration for the primary is May 18.
So far, 462,085 voters have applied for a mail-in ballot and 139,572 voters have applied for an absentee ballot.
COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County: Wednesday update
UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: There are 29 new confirmed or probable cases of the coronavirus in Allegheny County, bringing the total to 1,088, the Allegheny County Health Department announced. Of those cases, 1,052 are confirmed and 36 are probable.
Seven more deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of deaths confirmed to have been caused by or probably caused by COVID-19 to 74. Officials said 59 deaths were confirmed through positive COVID-19 tests and 15 have a probable cause.
All deaths are people between the ages of 42 and 103, the Health Department said.
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Officials said 196 people have been or are currently being hospitalized.
Here is a breakdown of cases by age group:
- 0-4 years: 2
- 5-12 years: 4
- 13-18 years: 10
- 19-24 years: 80
- 25-49 years: 377
- 50-64 years: 305
- 65+ years: 310
South Hills cancels Memorial Day parade
Update 8:15 a.m.: The South Hills Memorial Day Committee Wednesday canceled the community’s Memorial Day parade.
The parade was scheduled to run from Brookline Boulevard in Dormont through Mt. Lebanon.
Pittsburgh Public School students resume classes from home
UPDATE 6 a.m.: All students at Pittsburgh Public Schools will Wednesday resume classes from home.
This was a big program to organize for 23,000 students. Last week, the district started handing out laptops to high school students. Younger students will get instructional packets.
The district is also looking into the possibility of expanding summer school programs.
Coronavirus in Pennsylvania: Wednesday morning
UPDATE 4:30 a.m.: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf plans to reopen the state the same way he shut it down: county by county.
Wolf said he will be looking at data including the number of cases, number of new cases and number of deaths. He wants to be sure the hospital system can handle any surge.
Wolf said he believes people in Pennsylvania have listened to social distancing and the stay-at-home order, and that is why the state is in a good position right now.
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As of Tuesday, there were 34,528 cases of the coronavirus statewide and 1,564 deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Another 132,323 people have tested negative.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced Tuesday that all patients, whether showing symptoms or not, who go to its facilities for elective or critical procedures will now be tested for the coronavirus.
>>STORY: UPMC to begin testing all patients for coronavirus, even if they’re not showing symptoms
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