Pennsylvania 1 Of Just 3 States With Downward Trend In COVID-19 Cases For More Than 42 Days

Stephanie Stahl reports.

MORE THAN 10,400 CONFIRMEDCASES.426 PEOPLE HAVE DIED.PENNSYLVANIA CONTINUES TOBE ON THE FOREFRONT IN THEBATTLE AGAINST COVID-19.ACCORDING TO GOVERNOR TOM WOLFWHO SAID LATE TODAY THAT IT ISONE EVERY JUST FEW STATES INTHE COUNTRY WHERE THEYCONTINUE DOWNWARD TRENDS INNEW CASES.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL IS HERE WITH AN UPDATE.HI, STEPHANIE.HI, JEST, A GOVERNOR WOLFSAYS PROGRESS CONTINUES IN THEBUT SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA,WHICH INCLUDES PHILADELPHIA,AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES,REMAINS IN THE YELLOW PHASE OFRE-OPENING.THAT MEANS, MANY RESTRICTIONSARE STILL IN PLACE.WE REMAIN FOCUS ONBALANCING ECONOMIC INTEREST,WITH PUBLIC HEALTH.WE HAVE DONE THAT BY RELYINGON SCIENCE, BY RELYING ONEVIDENCE.PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOMWOLF TOUTED NEW DATA FROM THECDC THAT SHOWS PENNSYLVANIA ISONE OF JUST THREE STATES THATHAS A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY OFCOVID-19 CASES FOR MORE THAN42 DAYS.OUR NEW CASE RATES HAVEFALLEN CONSISTENTLY.EVEN AS WE HAVE REOPENEDBUSINESSES.EVEN AS WE'VE RESUMEDACTIVITIES.EVEN AS WE'VE GONE BACK TOWORK.OUR NEW CASE RATE IS NOW ABOUTA QUARTER, A QUARTER, WHATEVERIT WAS AT THE PEAK.WHILE BIG PART OF THE STATEIS IN THE GREEN PHASE OFRE-OPENING, SOUTHEASTERNPENNSYLVANIA ISN'T.THIS AREA REMAINS YELLOW WITHSOME RESTRICTIONS STILL INPLACE.BY HAVING THE WHOLECOMMUNITY WEARING MASKS, WEPROTECT THE COMMUNITY FROMTHIS SPREAD OF THIS VERYCONTAGIOUS RESPIRATORY VIRUS.THE HEALTH SECRETARY WANTSPEOPLE TO CONTINUE WEARINGMASKS, SITING SEVERAL STUDTHAT'S SHOW THEY CANSIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SPREAD OFTHE VIRUS.URGING PEOPLE WHO RECOVER FROMCOVID-19 TO DONATE BLOODPLASMA, WHICH CAN BE USED TOHELP OTHERS WITH THE VIRUS,AND STOCKPILE FOR ANOTHEREXPECTED OUTBREAK.IF WE SEE THE POTENTIALANTICIPATED RESURGENCE OFCOVID-19 IN THE FALL, ANDWINTER, THEN YOUR PLASMA MAYHELP MANY MORE PEOPLE IN THEIRRECOVERY.ALSO TODAY FROM THEPHILADELPHIA HEALTHDEPARTMENT, JUST 3% OFCOVID-19 TESTS TODAY WEREPOSITIVE.IT IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HASHAPPENED SINCE THE BEGINNINGOF THE PANDEMIC.THE HEALTH COMMISSIONER SAYSIT IS AN IMPORTANT FIND INPROGRESS THE NUMBER EVERY NEW