Updated 2:49 p.m. EST
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Friday the first case of COVID-19 has been reported in Centre County. Mount Nittany Medical Center reported two individuals within its system have tested positive for coronavirus.
Mount Nittany Medical Center isn’t limited to serving people in Centre County, and the Department of Health lists confirmed cases based on where an individual lives, not where the test takes place.
In a statement, Mount Nittany Medical Center said both patients are at home in isolation.
Potter County also has its first confirmed case of COVID-19, according to the Department of Health. The department said the statewide total of confirmed cases is 268 as of noon on Friday.
The majority of reported cases in Pennsylvania so far are concentrated in Allegheny, Buck, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said it’s “not unexpected” that the virus is spreading to the middle of the state.
“We expect to see COVID-19 really, in most, if not all, of the counties of Pennsylvania,” Levine said at a press conference Friday. “Which again, emphasizes the need for the aggressive mitigation and prevention measures that the governor has been talking about to try to limit that spread as much as possible.”
There are 2,574 patients in the state who have tested negative so far. One death has been reported in Northampton County.
The Borough of State College said in a statement, “The Borough and other Centre Region communities will continue to work with the DOH, Centre Region Emergency Management Agency, Infectious Hazardous Planning Group, and the Centre County Government to ensure any affected residents are properly monitored, quarantined, and isolated as each case dictates.”
In an effort to slow and contain the spread of the coronavirus, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf ordered all “non-life sustaining” businesses to close on Thursday night. He also ordered K-12 public schools to close last Friday. A statewide shutdown has been imposed.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
