27 Coronavirus Cases In Allegheny County

PITTSBURGH, PA – Allegheny County has 27 new positive cases of the novel coronavirus as of Friday morning, according to the county health department. Five people who have tested positive have been hospitalized and the remaining positive cases are in self isolation at home.

The Allegheny County Health Department said it expects the number of positive cases will increase as more COVID-19 testing sites come online. The goal is to slow down the community spread through mitigation efforts, officials have said.

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The state health department page still reports 16 positive cases, as of Friday morning.

The health department said it will continue testing those who are considered high-risk: people who are known to have have contact with someone who tested positive, health care workers, first responders and people who fall into other high-risk categories, such as age and pre-existing health conditions.

The county health department encourages residents to continue taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus. These steps include washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap, coughing and sneezing into your elbow or a tissue, disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and practicing social distancing.

Most important, health officials say to "stay safe by staying apart."

More information will be provided as it becomes available, the health department said.

Anyone with questions or seeking additional information is encouraged to call the ACHD 24/7 COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-856-2774.

>>>Full coronavirus in Pennsylvania coverage here.