Top Stories

Westmoreland County had a 56-day low record with only 2 COVID-19 cases Tuesday

By Melanie Gillespie, WPXI-TV
By Melanie Gillespie, WPXI-TV

A 56-day record low in Westmoreland County with just 2 COVID-19 cases was reported yesterday.

The county marked 18 on Wednesday, but doctors at Excela Health said they’re already seeing fewer cases.

Have questions about the spread of the coronavirus? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak. CLICK HERE for more.

“We are seeing a decreased number of unique new cases over the past week or so,” said Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer of Excela Health.

There have been a total of 1,573 total cases to date, but more than 32,600 have tested negative.

Fox said there’s a slight disruption when it comes to testing and recording results.

TRENDING NOW:

  • Allegheny County judge facing charges from state judicial board after alleged racist comments
  • Duquesne University releases findings of independent investigation into football player’s death
  • Allegheny Co. reports 13 new COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, some date back to end of July
  • VIDEO: 8-year-old Florida boy handcuffed, arrested for hitting teacher
  • DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts

    • “It really has a lot to do with when the test was obtained versus when the result is reported and some tests have a fairly long turnaround time. And when you were tested 10-12 days ago and the report is coming back today, that reflects what was happening 10-12 days ago,” Fox said.

    And it’s not because fewer tests are being administered.

    “People are still coming in to be tested which is a really good thing. What that tells me is people are taking this very seriously and when they have symptoms of any sort, they’re coming to be evaluated to make sure one way or the other,” Fox said.

    She said there is a lag in getting those results, but for Excela Health it comes down to testing capacity and supplies.

    “And that amount of supplies is really predicated on whether or not you’re a hot spot. So the fact that we’re not a hot spot is good news and bad news, in terms of testing we get less allocation of materials, but it’s good news for the community at large,” Fox said.

    Doctors here said it is safe to still come here if you’re suffering from a medical emergency. They don’t want you to overlook symptoms of something serious because of fears over COVID-19 and they encourage you to still get treated.

    Coronavirus: How local school bus companies are working to keep students safe

    Cox Media Group

    Most Read