Allegheny County COVID Field Response Team Checked On Approximately 350 Restaurants, Bars And Grocery Stores In The Last Week
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In the latest Coronavirus briefing, officials said that case numbers are going down but hospitalizations and the county's percent positivity rate still are concerning.
Over the last week, the county health department has reported 77 new hospitalizations in the last week; however, Dr. Bogen said that these numbers "reflect admission dates over the last couple of weeks." Hospitals in the area are prepared for the increase, according to Dr. Bogen.
Case investigations have revealed newer cases are linked to attending parties, weddings, funerals, religious services and fitness centers, Dr. Bogen said. She advised to avoid congregating in close numbers even outside when possible. Cases linked to bars and restaurants are declining but are the most commmon denominator among new cases, according to the health department's data.
Dr. 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 with flying colors. The most common infraction was staff not wear wearing face coverings followed by too many occupants inside the facility, according to Dr. Bogen. Establishments that did not meet the requirements on the first inspection will have the chance to redo the assessment and receive an all-satisfactory report.
Additionally, Dr. Bogen said parents' decisions about sending their children to school is a difficult one but that school districts are working hard on their health and safety plans.
"The lower the rate of transmission, the easier it will be to get our kids back to school," Dr. Bogen said.
She said this was another reason for people to be diligent about wearing masks and social distancing, in order to decrease the rate of transmission.