Erie County Sees 1,493 New Weekly COVID-19 Cases and 45 Deaths

elaborah / Erie Reader

On Wednesday, Dec. 23, the office of Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper reported 178 new positive cases of COVID-19. This brings our cumulative total to 10,509 positive cases. 

There have been 48,796 negative tests in total, with 1,878 recorded this week, and 4,007 the previous week.

There were four new deaths reported in the last 24 hours. There been 45 deaths in the last week, which account for one-fifth of the cumulative total of deaths in Erie County occurring this week alone, for an average of more than six deaths per day. 

There have been 215 total Erie County deaths reported through the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), with 35 deaths occurring in this week. 

Last week, 35 deaths were reported, with 53 the previous week. The number of deaths during the last three weeks account for nearly 62% of our total number of deaths since the pandemic began.

According to the county, there have been 1,483 new positive cases in the past week (14.1% of our total cases), with an average of nearly 212 cases being reported each day. 

More than 29% of our total positive cases have been reported in the last two weeks alone.

There have been 100 or more new cases reported each day from Nov. 11 onward.

During the Dec. 23 broadcast, Erie County Department of Health Director Melissa Lyon addressed the discrepancies between the county and state data figures. She cited the use of both NEDSS (used by the county) and the Electronic Death Registry System and the differences between them – such as some rural hospitals not being able to report all their deaths and multiple delays resulting from things such as place of residency and place of death. Lyon explained that the county will continue to use NEDSS as it has traditionally. 

According to the PA Department of Health, there are 141 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (up three from last week) and 16 patients on ventilators (also up three). 

Erie County's cumulative case total has more than doubled in 25 days (since Nov. 28). The number of deaths has more than doubled in 16 days. (since Dec. 7). 

Dahlkemper explained that at this time, there was no discussion of extending Pennsylvania's targeted mitigation orders (scheduled to end Jan. 4) and that the vast majority of local businesses have been compliant.

Weekly breakdown

Thurs 12/17/20 - 221 new cases, 12 new deaths

Fri 12/18/20 - 219 new cases, 16 new deaths

Sat 12/19/20 - 220 new cases, 

Sun 12/20/20 - 213 new cases, 

Mon 12/21/20 - 167 new cases, four new deaths (reported over the weekend)

Tues 12/22/20 - 265 new cases, nine new deaths

Wed 12/23/20 - 178 new cases, four new deaths 

State, Local, and National Statistics

Today, Pennsylvania saw 9,605 additional positive cases reported, for a total of 581,156. 

9,605 additional positive cases of COVID-19

So far, there have been 14,442 deaths statewide. 

In this week alone, Pennsylvania has seen 1,274 deaths, with 3,703 were reported last week, with 1,292 the previous week.

3,181,266 patients have tested negative to date. In the last week, Pennsylvania saw 61,787 new positive cases (74,052 last week), 95,207 negative tests.

According to the CDC, the US has a total of 18,170,062 total cases, with 1,650,394 new cases in the last seven days. There have been 195,759 new cases in the last 24 hours. 

The total number of deaths in the US is 302,992, with 18,742 reported in the last week (17,641 last week) and 3,165 in the last 24 hours.

As for updates in our nearby counties, Crawford County has 4,479 positive cases (up 493 this week and 1,255 last week), with 66 deaths (up 17 this week). 

McKean County has 1,398 positive cases (up 262) and 14 deaths (up four). 

Venango County has 2,125 positive cases (up 322) and 35 deaths (up eight this week). 

Warren County has 888 total positive cases (up 361), and 21 deaths (up 15 this week).

Ashtabula County's cumulative total is 3,597 positive cases (up 298 this week) and 65 deaths (no change since last week). 

Chautauqua County has a cumulative total of 3,058 positive cases (up 480) and 26 deaths (up two this week).

Dahlkemper stated that there will be no weekly press briefing on Wednesday, Dec. 30 and will return Wednesday, Jan 6.