¹ Total case counts include confirmed and probable cases.
² Negative case data only includes negative PCR tests. Negative case data does not include negative antibody tests.
Case data from PA-NEDSS.  Death data is a combination of PA-NEDSS and EDRS

¹ Tested per 100,000 residents represents the cumulative sum of tests within the specified geography

² Cases per 100K represents the 14 day sum of new cases per 100,000 residents

State Coronavirus Updates

• Pennsylvanians Urged to Report Unemployment Benefits Fraud: Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak is reminding Pennsylvanians of the warning signs associated with the widespread identity theft fraud ring targeting COVID-19 unemployment compensation (UC) benefits programs across the nation. The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program is the primary target of this sophisticated scam and victims are urged to report instances of fraud to L&I and local police. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020073080.HTM
• Human Services Secretary: Assistance is Available for Pennsylvanians Experiencing Homelessness, Unable to Pay Rent and Mortgages: Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller reminded Pennsylvanians that help is available and encouraged for anyone affected financially by the COVID-19 public-health crisis by taking advantage of rent and mortgage assistance programs available to help people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their housing. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020073193.HTM
• Wolf Administration Urges Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Season Amidst COVID-19: As we near the peak of hurricane season, the Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency urged Pennsylvanians to have an emergency plan in place if a hurricane or tropical storm is forecasted to impact the state during COVID-19. Hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30 in the Eastern United States, can bring dangerous storms that include threats such as flash flooding — the leading cause of disaster-related deaths in Pennsylvania —  river flooding, storm surge, damaging winds and tornadoes. Read more: https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2020/2020073199.HTM
• Pa. will hire 1,000 COVID contact tracers, pay them $18-$22 per hour: Pennsylvania on Friday announced plans to hire 1,000 people who will track down those who had close contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Read more: https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/07/pa-will-hire-1000-covid-contact-tracers-pay-them-18-22-per-hour.html
• Pennsylvania may pilot virus-tracing app popular in Ireland: A contact-tracing app that was downloaded by one-fifth of Ireland in 36 hours might undergo a pilot project in Pennsylvania that could go live in the coming weeks as part of an effort to more quickly contain coronavirus outbreaks by notifying people who may have been exposed, a state Health Department official said Wednesday. Read more: https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/pennsylvania-may-pilot-virus-tracing-app-popular-ireland/3RC5I72TXBCPPAFYAL5YHGNPSM/

Regional Coronavirus Updates

• Allegheny County Department of Health
  • There are 669 past or present hospitalizations (+33). In the newest cases (tested June 30 through July 30), ages range from 2 to 103 years with the median age being 52.
  • Bogen said the new COVID Field Response Team visited around 350 establishments, and data from the team can now be viewed on the county’s website. Dr. Bogen said 13% of establishments had at least one item to address, but most have passed the county’s assessments. Read more: https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/29/allegheny-county-covid-field-response-team-checked-on-approximately-350-restaurants-bars-and-grocery-stores-in-the-last-week/
  • While Allegheny County bars and restaurants are still linked to the most COVID-19 cases, contact tracing shows a growing number of infected individuals have reported attending private parties and other large gatherings. Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday parties, weddings, funerals, religious services and gyms are appearing more often as infection sources. Read more: https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/allegheny-county-data-shows-parties-becoming-a-growing-source-of-coronavirus/
• California University of Pennsylvania
  • Cal U will be operating remotely (Level 4) throughout the Fall 2020 semester. Read more: https://www.calu.edu/coronaplan/
• University of Pittsburgh
  • The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University will have hundreds of campus beds ready to isolate students this fall who are infected with or suspected of having COVID-19, both schools said Thursday, detailing plans amid rising cases nationally. Pitt has set aside 179 beds scattered across campus, and potentially 20 more. Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/07/30/University-of-Pittsburgh-Pitt-Penn-State-fall-COVID19-football-testing-Gallagher-online/stories/202007300137
• How the COVID Field Response Team is keeping restaurants in check while Safe Service PGH asks them to take the pledge: Businesses and customers sign an online form pledging to follow federal, state and local health and safety guidelines. In addition, eateries are taking an extra step, promising to heighten and monitor their sanitizing protocols and administer health checks to staff before the beginning of each employee’s shift. So far, 36 businesses and 159 patrons have signed the pledge. Read more: https://nextpittsburgh.com/latest-news/the-covid-field-response-team-is-keeping-restaurants-in-check-and-safe-service-pgh-asks-them-to-take-the-pledge/

Federal Coronavirus Updates

• Department of Health and Human Services
  • HHS, DOD Partner With Sanofi and GSK on Commercial-Scale Manufacturing Demonstration Project to Produce Millions of COVID-19 Investigational Vaccine Doses: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) today announced agreements with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to support advanced development including clinical trials and large-scale manufacturing of 100 million doses of a COVID-19 investigational adjuvanted vaccine. Read more: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/07/31/hhs-dod-partner-sanofi-gsk-commercial-scale-manufacturing-demonstration-project-produce-millions-covid-19-investigational-vaccine-doses.html
  • The Nation’s Public Health Experts to America: Donate Plasma: The HHS released a series of public service announcements (PSAs) and announced over $8 million in digital, radio, and out-of-home advertisements to support a broader Trump Administration effort imploring Americans to donate their plasma and help save lives. The PSA campaign seeks to dramatically increase donations of convalescent plasma by the end of August in the whole-of-America fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Read more: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/07/30/nations-public-health-experts-america-donate-plasma.html

National Coronavirus Updates

• According to CNN, as of 11:00am on Friday, July 31, 2020, there are 152,074 coronavirus-related deaths and 4,496,737 total positive cases in the United States.
• U.S. Reaches $2.1 Billion Deal With Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline For Coronavirus Vaccine: The federal government has reached a deal worth up to $2.1 billion with drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline as part of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s push to have a coronavirus vaccine widely available by early 2021. The money will go toward clinical trials, scaling up manufacturing and purchasing 100 million doses of the vaccine. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/07/31/897701128/u-s-reaches-2-1-billion-deal-with-sanofi-and-glaxosmithkline-for-coronavirus-vac
• 3 Months Of Hell: U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% In Worst GDP Report Ever:  The coronavirus pandemic triggered the sharpest economic contraction in modern American history, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic activity — shrank at an annual rate of 32.9% in the second quarter as restaurants and retailers closed their doors in a desperate effort to slow the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 150,000 people in the U.S. Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/07/30/896714437/3-months-of-hell-u-s-economys-worst-quarter-ever
• Vaccine distribution will be ‘joint venture’ between CDC and Pentagon:  The plan breaks with the longstanding precedent that CDC distributes vaccines during major outbreaks through a centralized ordering system. Nationwide distribution of any coronavirus vaccine will be a “joint venture” between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which typically oversees vaccine allocation, and the Department of Defense, a senior administration official said today. Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/30/coronavirus-vaccine-distribution-388904