Pittsburgh remains virus hotspot; reports 218 new infections

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 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.