Allegheny County's covid positivity rate has dropped 3 percentage points since mid-July

In adding 29 cases, the Allegheny County Health Department posted its second lowest count of new instances of covid-19 Monday.

Over the past week (Aug. 13-24), the county has announced 428 new cases, more than a 25% decline in new cases from the previous seven-day period — 572 new cases from Aug. 11-17.

Of the county’s latest cases — which come from 690 tests — all of them have been confirmed. New cases range in age from 18 to 94 years, with a median age of 45 years. The date of positive tests ranged from Aug, 17-23.

Testing has declined in the past month from a seven-day average high of 2,443 tests per day on July 17 to a current 1,149 tests per day.

However, on July 17 the seven-day positivity rate of those tests was around 8.4%, while the current seven-day positivity rate has declined to 5.4%.

Since the pandemic began in March, 149,173 residents have been tested for covid-19 in Allegheny County, with 6.7% testing positive.

The county reported no new deaths on Monday.

According to the state’s covid-19 tracking website, there are currently 86 Allegheny County residents in the hospital for the virus, with 19 of them on ventilators. Allegheny County continues to update its hospitalization information, adding one new case Monday. In all, 926 people have been hospitalized for covid-19.

The county’s website says there have been outcomes in 7,160 cases — where 6,854 are assumed to be recovered and 306 have died. That makes the recovery rate nearly 96% in cases with an outcome. Out of the county’s total of 9,932 covid-19 cases, there remain 2,772 cases without an assumed outcome.

The website counts individuals as recovered based on one of two conditions: It’s been 32 days since the person was hospitalized for covid-19 and not deceased; or, if they were not hospitalized, 14 days since they tested positive.

Officials report another inmate at the Allegheny County Jail has tested positive for covid-19 since last week, making a total of 38 to date. Three covid-19-positive inmates remain in the facility, with 35 having either recovered or been released. A total of 424 inmates have been tested, with 380 testing negative; one inmate’s test is still pending.

Among jail workers, 109 have been tested, with 11 positives, 96 negatives and two tests pending. Ten workers at the jail have recovered.

As always, state and county health officials urge residents to wear masks, wash their hands and maintain physical distance from others to keep the community safe.