Lehigh Valley COVID cases up 23% over past month

Lehigh Valley COVID cases up 23% over past month

By Genesis Ortega

November 3, 2020

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to increase in Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley’s reporting a 23% jump over the past month. State health officials warn the virus is hitting a broader age range.

Pa. Health Secretary Rachel Levine urged residents Monday to wear masks and practice social distancing as case numbers continue to spike across the commonwealth. 

“We have now seen 28 days where we have reported more than 1,000 new cases of the virus per day. Over the last week, we have reported 5 days with more than 2,000 new cases per day,” she said.

And Levine says the virus is infecting a broader age range, with increases in positive cases for K-12 and college students, middle-aged Pennsylvanians, and seniors alike. 

Data from mid-October indicates that only a quarter of those contacted by health departments responded to contact tracers with information about whether they had gone to restaurants or taken part in large gatherings. 

Levine says current containment and mitigation efforts will be much more effective if more people respond. 

The statewide death rate has also increased, but it has not reached the numbers seen in the spring. Pennsylvania has had more than 200,000 cases since the pandemic began. 

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