Two Pennsylvania Residents Test Positive for Coronavirus

Governor Wolf announced this morning that two residents of Pennsylvania have tested positive for the Coronavirus. 

“We anticipated this very scenario and have been preparing for Pennsylvanians to become impacted by this virus,” Governor Wolf said. “This is not the first rapidly-spreading virus we have faced in our commonwealth and it will not be the last. We are prepared to mitigate the spread of this virus.”
One individual is an adult from Wayne County and is currently in their home in isolation. The individual recently traveled to a country where COVID-19 is present.
The other individual is from an adult from Delaware County and is currently in their home in isolation. The individual recently traveled to an area of the United States where COVID-19 is present.

“The confirmation of a case of coronavirus is not a surprise to us, and we’ve been working with the Department of Health since January to ensure that we’d be ready,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “Earlier this week, we partially activated the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center here at PEMA in order to support their planning efforts.”

​Symptoms of the COVID-19 can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Individuals most at risk for severe symptoms include the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Anyone who does not feel well should:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with their elbow, not their hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently, such as countertops, light switches, cell phones and other frequently touched areas.
• Contain- if someone is sick, they should stay home until they are feeling better.

​To date the Wolf Administration has:

• Activated of the Department of Health’s Emergency Operations Center to allow for enhanced response coordination;
• Began testing for COVID-19 at the state laboratory;
• Maintained communication and outreach with federal, state and local partners;
• Provided symptom monitoring for residents returning from areas impacted by coronavirus;
• Provided health care providers, businesses and education providers with information;
• Reviewed and adapted current pandemic flu plans to prepare for spread of COVID-19;
• Increased testing capacity to test 20-25 individuals a day;
• Purchased equipment to increase testing capacity to 125-150 individuals within a day.