Erie County Sees Weeklong COVID-19 Spike
College-age students comprise more than a quarter of new cases
The office of Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper reported 21 new positive cases of COVID-19 today. This brings our cumulative total to 1,694 positive cases. There have been 29,343 negative tests in total. So far, there have been 1,495 recovered cases, with 14 announced today and 41 this week, for a total of 147 current active cases in Erie County. There have been 52 total Erie County deaths reported by the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), with no additional deaths reported this week.
According to the county, there have been 122 new positive cases in the past week (two less than last week), nearly double the amount from last week, with each day recording more than a dozen new cases. There have also been 41 recoveries (nine fewer than last week), 1,400 negative tests, and one new death reported.
Of the cumulative cases, 56% are female and 44% are male.
Breakdown by Race/Ethnicity
65% White residents
19% African American/Black residents
7% Asian residents
2% Other
7% Unknown
Six percent of the cases are Hispanic, of any race; 83% are not Hispanic; and 11% are unknown.
Breakdown by Age
3% are ages 0-4
2% are ages 5-9
8% are ages 10-18
18% are ages 19-24
35% are ages 25-49
19% are ages 50-64
17% are ages 65 and older
This Week's Age Breakdown
Dahlkemper also provided age ranges for this week's new cases, as follows:
3% are ages 0-4
0% are ages 5-9
11% are ages 10-18
28% are ages 19-24
23% are ages 25-49
24% are ages 50-64
11% are ages 65 and older
Dahlkemper was quick to note the large portion of cases occurring in college-age students. "I urge all young people to keep in mind that although they may not get severely ill, they can pass it to family and friends – grandparents, aunts, and uncles who may be compromised," Dahlkemper implored. "We've seen it already in our community where older adults were exposed and contracted COVID-19 through contact with young family members. Please be responsible and be mindful of your loved ones."
In the last month, there have been 218 new positive cases, 271 recoveries, and four deaths.
Erie County's cumulative positive case total has more than doubled in more than ten weeks. The amount of deaths reported has doubled in nine weeks.
Weekly breakdown
*with a total of 127 new cases (since reporting times vary, these numbers may not reflect the county's reported total of 122):
Wed 10/7/20 - 21 new cases
Tues 10/6/20 - 17 new cases
Mon 10/5/20 - 13 new cases
Sun 10/4/20 - 40 new cases
Sat 10/3/20 - information unavailable (Sunday total logged over a 48 hour period)
Friday 10/2/20 - 24 new cases, 1 new death
Thursday 10/1/20 - 12 new cases
State, Local, and National Statistics
Today, Pennsylvania saw 1,309 additional positive cases reported, for a total of 166,552. So far, there have been 8,272 deaths statewide. 1,967,542 patients have tested negative to date. In the last week, Pennsylvania saw 7,585 new cases and 130 deaths.
According to the CDC,, the US has a total of 7,475,262 total cases, with 307,550 new cases in the last seven days and 38,984 in the last 24 hours. The total number of deaths in the US is 210,232, with 4,860 reported in the last week and 672 in the last 24 hours.
As for updates in our nearby counties, Crawford County has 332 positive cases (up 16 this week), with three deaths. McKean County has 63 positive cases (up four) and two deaths. Venango County has 104 positive cases (up 16) and one death. Warren County has 46 total positive cases (up two) and one death.
Ashtabula County's cumulative total is 680 positive cases (up 16 this week), with 101 hospitalized, and 48 deaths (no change). Chautauqua County has a cumulative total of 710 positive cases (up 48) and 13 deaths (up three).
