NEWS

Coronavirus updates: Pa. cases up to 18,000, schools to remain closed for school year

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall Sam Ruland
York Daily Record

Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania surged by nearly 2,000 on Thursday as the governor announced the closure of school campuses for the remainder of the school year and spring sports seasons were canceled. 

The additional 1,989 cases reported by the Department of Health brings the state's total to 18,228. To-date, 338 Pennsylvanians have lost their lives to the virus, which includes the 29 added Thursday.

All Pennsylvania schools K-12 will remain closed for the rest of the school year because of the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday morning. 

School districts will need to work on details about what the school closures means for retrieving personal items from schools, as well as decisions about what the change means for graduations and other activities.

The PIAA also pulled the plug on the remaining winter sports championships and entire spring sports season Thursday.  

More:Pa. schools to remain closed through end of academic year

Adams County's first death related to COVID-19 was also reported Thursday. Totals in southcentral Pennsylvania, as reported by the state Department of Health, include:   

  • Adams County: 38 (1 death) 
  • Cumberland County: 88 (2 deaths)
  • Franklin County: 52
  • Lancaster County: 596 (17 deaths)
  • Lebanon County: 187
  • York County: 250 (3 deaths)  

Meanwhile, funds from the $2 trillion stimulus package to help Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic could possibly start hitting bank accounts as early as Thursday or Friday.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the first group of Americans to receive stimulus checks will be those who have already given their bank account information to the Internal Revenue Service. 

The IRS is using 2019 or 2018 tax returns to calculate the payment and they're using the bank account information that's on file.

If the IRS does not have your bank account information, continue to check for updates at www.irs.gov/coronavirus as the Treasury Department is supposed to launch a web-based portal system for people to provide their direct deposit information. 

Coronavirus counter:Map of Pa. counties, confirmed cases over time, ages of patients

Hospitalizations in Pa. 

Pennsylvania currently has 2,033 patients hospitalized, 600 patients on ventilators and 10 on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

The state's data dashboard also shows there are 1,462 total ventilators in use of the 5,086 available to Pennsylvania healthcare systems. As of Thursday afternoon, 44.5 percent of hospital medical beds and 36.7 percent of adult ICU beds are available. 

Other coronavirus news: 

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How many coronavirus cases does Pa. have? 

Pennsylvania has had 18,228 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus as of Thursday, according to the Department of Health. Here's a look at the numbers in Pennsylvania:

Confirmed cases: 18,228

New cases: 1,989 new cases as of April 9

Deaths: 338 

Counties with at least one case: All counties 

Patients who tested negative: 87,374

Pa. coronavirus cases county by county

Here are how many confirmed cases and deaths each county in Pennsylvania has as of April 9:  

  • Adams County: 38
  • Allegheny County: 759 (12 deaths)
  • Armstrong County: 20
  • Beaver County: 129 (13 deaths)
  • Bedford County: 4
  • Berks County: 616 (8 deaths)
  • Blair County: 6
  • Bradford County: 15
  • Bucks County: 871 (23 deaths)
  • Butler County: 113 (2 deaths)
  • Cambria County: 10 (1 death)
  • Cameron: 1
  • Carbon County: 83 (2 death)
  • Centre County: 59
  • Chester County: 425 (7 death)
  • Clarion: 8
  • Clearfield: 7
  • Clinton County: 4
  • Columbia County: 65 (2 death)
  • Crawford County: 13
  • Cumberland County: 88 ( 2 death)
  • Dauphin: 180 (2 death)
  • Delaware County: 1,222 (26 deaths) 
  • Elk: 2
  • Erie County: 32
  • Fayette: 45 (1 death)
  • Forest: 5
  • Franklin County: 52
  • Fulton: 1
  • Greene: 21
  • Huntingdon: 8
  • Indiana: 21
  • Juniata County: 23
  • Jefferson: 1
  • Lackawanna County: 312 (16 deaths)
  • Lancaster County: 596 (17 deaths)
  • Lawrence: 37 (2 deaths) 
  • Lebanon County: 187
  • Lehigh County: 1,466 (13 deaths)
  • Luzerne County: 1,241 (12 deaths)
  • Lycoming County: 17
  • Mckean: 1
  • Mercer: 30
  • Mifflin: 10
  • Monroe County: 716 (19 deaths)
  • Montgomery County: 1,693 (37 deaths) 
  • Montour County: 25
  • Northampton County: 949  (20 deaths)
  • Northumberland: 24
  • Perry: 15 (1 death)
  • Philadelphia: 5, 029 (86 deaths)
  • Pike County: 163 (6 death) 
  • Potter County: 3
  • Schuylkill: 149 (1 death)
  • Snyder: 9 (1 death)
  • Somerset County: 7
  • Sullivan: 1
  • Susquehanna: 16 (1 death) 
  • Tioga: 10
  • Union: 11
  • Venango: 5
  • Warren: 1
  • Washington County: 63
  • Wayne County: 49
  • Westmoreland County: 190 (1 death)
  • Wyoming: 6
  • York County: 250  (3 death) 

Coronavirus symptoms, testing 

According to the CDC, reported illnesses from COVID-19 have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.   

Fever, cough and shortness of breath might appear 2 to 14 days after you've been exposed to the virus. 

If you think you've been exposed to the coronavirus and develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your primary healthcare provider immediately for guidance, including whether you should be tested.

Testing overall is still about 10 to 14 days behind, meaning the data today shows the rate of infection two weeks ago. 

The CDC is now shifting its testing efforts to include new antibody tests that will help determine who was infected and asymptomatic, and may now be immune to the virus. 

Knowing who is protected from the infection will be important to getting the country back to work and reopening the U.S. economy, federal officials said.

Preventing the spread

There is currently neither a vaccine nor an approved treatment for the new, or novel, coronavirus. While many people might only get mild symptoms, older adults and those who already have medical issues can end up with more serious complications. There's concern that a fast spread of the virus could overwhelm the health system to provide care, including the need for respirators in serious cases. 

With further spread of the virus and disruptions to everyday life expected, officials remind residents to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

You should also cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow (not your hands), clean surfaces that are frequently touched (such as countertops, light switches and phones), and stay home if you are sick. 

People are also asked not to attend large gatherings and to practice "social distancing." It's best to keep six feet apart from other people you don't live with. 

USA Today and the Associated Press contributed to this article.