Your daily coronavirus update: Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 death toll passes 500

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The Pennsylvania Health Department on Sunday reported 13 additional deaths among COVID-19 patients, raising the total for the pandemic to 507.

The department also reported nearly 1,200 new cases over the previous day, making a total of nearly 23,000 infections across the state since the pandemic hit.

There were 29 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Pennsylvania on Thursday and 78 on Friday, but officials have cautioned that inconsistent reporting on weekends can result in artificially low numbers.

Officials say most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients of that age range.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

Since the first cases were reported in central Pennsylvania on March 13, a total of 3,271 people in the region have tested positive for the virus.

The first coronavirus-related deaths in this region were reported about two weeks later, on March 28. In the 15 days since, a total 63 central Pennsylvania residents have died from COVID-19 or related complications.

Today’s update includes one new death each in Berks, Columbia, Dauphin and Lancaster counties.

• Adams: 48 cases, including 1 death
• Berks: 1035 cases, including 20 deaths
• Columbia: 106 cases, including 3 deaths
• Cumberland: 110 cases, including 3 deaths
• Dauphin: 229 cases, including 4 deaths
• Franklin: 64 cases
• Juniata: 38 cases
• Lancaster: 772 cases, including 24 deaths
• Lebanon: 270 cases, including 1 death
• Mifflin: 12 cases
• Northumberland: 37 cases
• Perry: 16 cases, including 1 death
• Schuylkill: 188 cases, including 2 deaths
• Snyder: 20 cases, including 1 death
• Union: 19 cases
• York: 307 cases, including 3 deaths

Legislature returns

The Pennsylvania House plans to return Tuesday to voting session, and the chamber may consider legislation that would allow more businesses to open during the coronavirus pandemic.

House Republican spokesmen said Sunday that representatives may take up a proposal that would direct Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to come up with a system based on guidance for business from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new rules would also have to follow an advisory memo on the topic sent out late last month by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Another bill they may take up would allow notaries to employ technology rather than perform their duties in person during the COVID-19 outbreak. It also would permit municipal governments to meet electronically.

House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, told members Saturday he is sure the minimum 102 members needed for a quorum will be in the Capitol on Tuesday, so remote voting rules will not necessarily be needed.