Allegheny County Kid Coronavirus Case Numbers Spiking

PITTSBURGH, PA — Children ages 5-12 continue to make up a growing percentage of coronavirus cases since classes have started to resume in Allegheny County's 43 school districts. Two weeks ago, that age demographic accounted for 4.8 percent of the overall case numbers; on Wednesday, the percentage was 12.8 percent.

Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said there were 67 coronavirus case reported in children under 12 in June, 157 in July and 773 in August. Bogen said the state's new mask mandate in schools, which went into effect Tuesday, likely won't prompt a decline in cases for several weeks.

Bogen nevertheless remains a strong proponent of mask mandates, which have prompted parental protests across Pennsylvania and threats of lawsuits against Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Department of Health.

“To keep our school settings as safe as possible, I continue to strongly support CDC guidance for universal masking in schools,” Bogen said during a Wednesday news conference.

Children under 12 currently are ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna have clinical trials under way for their respective vaccines for children under the age of 12.

Here are the number of confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases in the county for the past two weeks, along with the number of children ages 5-12 who have contracted the illness and their percentage of the overall case numbers.

Sept. 8 reporting date

• Total cases: 450

• Children 5-12: 58 (12.8 percent)

Sept. 7

• Total cases: 245

• Children 5-12: 25 (10.2 percent)

Sept. 6 (72-hour reporting period)

• Total cases: 912

• Children 5-12: 97 (10.6 percent)

Sept. 3

• Total cases: 305

• Children 5-12: 32 (10.4 percent)

Sept. 2

• Total cases: 460

• Children 5-12: 56 (12.1 percent)

Sept. 1

• Total cases: 199

• Children 5-12: 21 (10.5 percent)

Aug. 31

• Total cases: 263

• Children 5-12: 23 (8.7 percent)

Aug. 30 (72-hour reporting period)

• Total cases: 945

• Children 5-12: 91 (9.6 percent)

Aug. 27

• Total cases: 271

• Children 5-12: 24 (8.8 percent)

• Total cases: 266

• Children 5-12: 13 (4.8 percent)

Children under 12 currently are ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Both Pfizer and Moderna have clinical trials under way for their respective vaccines for children under the age of 12.