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By: KDKA-TV News Team
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny County leaders are warning people that if coronavirus cases continue to rise, national models show the community will lose “hundreds” of people in the coming months.
Allegheny County Director Rich Fitzgerald, Health Department Director Dr Debra Bogen, and representatives from AHN, Heritage Valley Health System, St. Clair Hospital and the UPMC held a Point State Park lawn briefing Thursday to inform the community of the virus.
“Although no new public health orders are planned at this time, we will continue to closely monitor the situation in our county and intervene if necessary,” says Dr Bogen.
It comes as Allegheny County reported a record number of new daily coronavirus cases – 412 on Thursday. Statewide, Pennsylvania had its third straight day of daily records.
According to data from Dr Bogen, our cases have been increasing since mid-October and accelerating. Cases are on the rise and we have almost doubled our weekly number of cases from approximately 950 to 1,600 by the week ending November 6. We are on the verge of reaching 2,000 cases this week, she said.
For every 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county, two people have died.
“According to the national models, if the cases continue to increase, hundreds of people will die in our community in the coming months,” says Dr Bogen. “It’s a painful thought as the holidays approach. Together, we can and must ensure that we lose as few members of our community as possible. To do this, we must work to stop the spread of the virus. “
Dr Bogen says that case investigations indicate that gatherings and parties are the source of the outbreak. Fitzgerald has pleaded with his fellow parents, asking them to keep their kids away from parties because the cases are linked to sleepovers and kids see their friends after school.
“Halloween was not a good time,” says Fitzgerald. He also says it’s important to limit gatherings before the holidays, as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is “one of the busiest nights of the year.”
To illustrate this point, Dr Bogen says there was an outbreak linked to a wedding with 45 guests, claiming that 18 people were infected. One person has been hospitalized and one of the cases is pregnant.
Dr Bogen says to stop or “drastically reduce” gatherings and keep them outside if possible. Otherwise, limit the size to a few people wearing masks and social distancing.
She also asks people to answer calls from the health department for contact tracing. She says fewer people are answering calls and some are even treating staff members “abusively”.
Everyone is invited to answer their phone. The health department has made some changes to its contact tracing process, says Dr Bogen. If you receive a call, fewer questions will be asked and you will have the option to complete a secure online form to provide additional information. Dr Bogen says it will buy time so they can reach more people.
If you have any symptoms or are in close contact with a case, get tested, says Dr Bogen, and make sure you get the flu shot.
Several doctors spoke on Thursday, and Fitzgerald asked people to listen to medical experts, not politicians. Doctors say there has been an increase in hospitalizations, although this is only a “fraction” of the capacity.
“We know this will continue over the holidays, so we are prepared for it. We have a great capacity for these patients, contingency plans are in place, ”said Dr. Don Whiting of AHN.
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