The number of COVID-19 Case counts in McKean and Elk counties have inched up.
On Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 28 total cases in McKean County — up 2 from Thursday’s total — and 43 in Elk County, up 1 from Thursday. The total represents 19 confirmed and 8 probable in McKean and 32 confirmed and 11 probable in Elk.
The total cases in Potter and Cameron remain steady at 20 and 5, respectively.
The Department of Health reported 970 new cases statewide on Friday, bringing the total to 112,048. Thirteen new deaths were reported, for a total of 7,189 deaths in Pennsylvania since the start of the pandemic.
There are 19,484 residents and 3,934 employees of nursing and personal care homes in 61 counties who have had COVID-19. A total of 4,904 deaths occurred in residents of such homes.
The department also announced Friday that nearly $23 million in federal funding will be used to find 1,000 new paid contact tracing staff. Pennsylvania is contracting with Insight Global to recruit, hire, train and support the employees.
“Across Pennsylvania, we have dedicated public health professionals who truly are the backbone of contact tracing, and this expansion of the contact tracing team will only support, strengthen and expand their efforts,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. “This project will bolster and diversify our public health workforce all while coordinating and mobilizing efforts in order to conquer any potential surge in COVID-19 cases.”
Pennsylvania currently has 654 contact tracers, a group that includes community health nurses and county and local health department staff.
