Westmoreland County's covid number dropped dramatically in February

When compared with recent prior months, February was much better with regard to the coronavirus in Westmoreland County.

New cases of covid-19 dropped by 61.5% from January (5,370) to February (2,064).

Even within the month, new cases dropped from the first half to the second. In the first 14 days of February, the county averaged 81 new cases per day. In the final 14 days, that number was down to 66.

Among the county’s reported covid-related death toll, the numbers were similarly lower. In January, officials reported 182 deaths. In February, that number was 67 — a 63% decline. While the true dates of death vary — with some eventually adjusted to previous months — the reporting of them remains comparable.

In February, there were seven days in which no deaths were reported; that didn’t happen once in January.

Hospitalizations in the county dropped from 141 on Feb. 1 to 115 on Sunday — an 18.4% decline.

Newest numbers

Over the past two days, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 75 new cases in Westmoreland County, the lowest two-day figure since Oct. 4 (63). However, the county has seen a slight uptick in cases over the past week, with 10 more cases reported this week than the previous one.

Among the new cases, officials reported 45 were confirmed through 365 PCR tests, with 30 listed as probable cases. Health officials define a probable case as one in which a patient has a positive viral antigen test or covid symptoms with a “high-risk exposure” to someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

There were two new covid-related deaths reported in the county over the past two days, bringing Westmoreland’s total to 672.

On Monday, the state’s Open Data site reported 111 county residents were hospitalized for covid, with six in intensive care units and three on ventilators.

As for vaccinations, the state reports there are 49,288 county residents who have received at least one dose of a covid vaccine, with 19,872 residents fully vaccinated.

Since the pandemic began last March, Westmoreland County has recorded 26,817 cases of covid-19, with 18,963 cases confirmed through PCR tests and 7,854 listed as probable.