Allegheny County officials say coronavirus is infecting more young people

More young people continue to test positive for covid-19, Allegheny County officials said Wednesday.

Hospitalizations also have started to “creep up,” county Health Director Debra Bogen said, with 31 since June 20.

Of the newly hospitalized, seven patients are in their 20s and 30s, she said. She expects to see a small percentage of young and otherwise healthy adults to be hospitalized as cases continue to rise.

Bogen said the number of 19- to 24-year-olds who have tested positive has more than doubled since June 20.

The county ended June with some of the worst coronavirus data than it’s had since the start of the pandemic, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

“Over the last 10 days, we have seen an uptick in our numbers,” he said. “Much higher than any of us feel comfortable with.”

Bogen said 712 cases have been reported in the county since June 20, and she doesn’t expect daily case counts to decrease for at least a couple of weeks. Of those new cases, the age of those infected ranged from 4 months to 97 years.

The median age was 29, meaning half of the patients were older than that and half were younger.

Wednesday marked the second time since the pandemic began that the county reported more than 100 positive cases in a single day. There were 110 cases reported Wednesday and 109 on Tuesday.

Bogen echoed the charge that many of the new cases are attributed to out-of-state travel. On Wednesday, she said the health department has identified at least 60 locations where infected individuals have visited, including many areas with lax coronavirus restrictions. Among the new cases, Bogen said many individuals had traveled to coastal towns such as Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, several cities in Florida and other metro areas including Houston and Nashville.

Only four infected people said they participated in recent protests over racial injustice, which have occurred almost daily in the county for the past month. Two of those people said they also went to bars and restaurants.

About 15 local bars and restaurants were cited more than once among the new cases, Bogen said. For many of the establishments, individuals said neither patrons nor employees were wearing masks or maintaining 6 feet of social distance.

The health department this week banned the on-site consumption of alcohol at bars and restaurants, and recommended a 14-day quarantine for anyone returning from out-of-state travel. Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday also expanded an order to make masks mandatory in outdoor situations where social distancing can’t be maintained.

Bogen’s update comes as the county prepares for a holiday weekend. As Independence Day fireworks in Pittsburgh were canceled this year because of the pandemic, Bogen asked county residents to take precautions while they celebrate privately.

“Please,” she said, “stay away from large crowds. Wear your mask. … Don’t consume a large amount of alcohol that will impair your judgment.”