Pennsylvania health officials confirm 'fall resurgence' of coronavirus

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania is “at the start of the fall resurgence” of COVID-19, the health secretary said Wednesday, urging residents once more to take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Wednesday marked the ninth consecutive day that Pennsylvania’s daily case count surpassed 1,000. Though some of the increase caseload is due to expanded testing, hospitalization and test positivity rates are also rising. That indicates increased viral spread, Dr. Rachel Levine said at a news conference.

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Pennsylvania is more prepared to handle the influx than it was in the spring, and state officials have no plans to impose another statewide stay-at-home order or broad-based business shutdown “at this time,” Levine said.

“Working through containment and other efforts, we have no plans at this time to change the mitigation orders that are already in place," Levine said. “It's impossible for me to predict the future, but again, we’re in a much better place than we were in the spring.”

Health officials reported 1,276 more people have tested positive for the virus, bringing the statewide total to nearly 176,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. The state reported 27 new deaths, raising the toll to 8,411.

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