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Pennsylvania passes 90,000 total COVID-19 cases; Pittsburgh remains virus hotspot

  • The Associated Press
People waiting in line to enter a grocery store wear COVID-19 protective masks, Friday, July 3, 2020, in McCandless, Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf's more expansive mask order issued this week as the coronavirus shows new signs of life in Pennsylvania and the July Fourth holiday starts has been met with hostility from Republicans objecting to the Democrat's use of power or even to wearing a mask itself.

 Keith Srakocic / AP Photo

People waiting in line to enter a grocery store wear COVID-19 protective masks, Friday, July 3, 2020, in McCandless, Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf's more expansive mask order issued this week as the coronavirus shows new signs of life in Pennsylvania and the July Fourth holiday starts has been met with hostility from Republicans objecting to the Democrat's use of power or even to wearing a mask itself.

(Harrisburg) —  An additional 450 people in Pennsylvania have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with nearly half the new cases coming from the Pittsburgh area, state health officials reported Monday.

There were 218 new confirmed infections in Allegheny County, a virus hotspot that is home to Pittsburgh and 1.2 million people. Last week, county health officials announced a one-week ban on table service at bars and restaurants. Health officials have said that many of those testing positive lately are younger people who frequented bars and restaurants or who traveled out of state to beach towns and other locales.

Allegheny County also ordered the casino there to close and banned gatherings of more than 25 people for a week in an attempt to reduce the surge in new infections.

Statewide, a single new COVID-19 death was reported Monday, raising Pennsylvania’s toll to 7,754 since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 90,000 people statewide have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher than the state’s confirmed case count because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

In other coronavirus-related developments Monday:

Help for child care providers and arts organizations

The Wolf administration announced additional federal money for child care providers and arts organizations that have been impacted by the pandemic.

Child care providers are getting an additional $53 million from Pennsylvania’s share of the federal coronavirus relief package. The money will be distributed this month. Providers are getting a total of $220 million to help them stay afloat and pay for enhanced cleaning and sanitation, according to the Wolf administration.

Pennsylvania had more than 7,000 licensed child care providers at the end of June. The state says more than 150 have closed.

The Wolf administration also said that more than 300 nonprofit arts organizations in Pennsylvania will get a total of $2.3 million in grant money from the federal coronavirus relief package. The National Endowment for the Arts sent $1.8 million to 36 arts organizations, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts distributed the remaining $527,000 to 273 organizations.

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