The Lead

COVID-19 in Pa.: As cases mount, top health official underlines need for masks

By: John L. Micek - April 4, 2020 12:56 pm

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine speaks to journalists during an online briefing on Thursday, 3/19/20 about the latest on the COVID-19 outbreak in the Keystone State (Screen Capture).

Pennsylvania’s top public health official said Saturday that she’s seen “no evidence” that the pace of COVID-19 infections are slowing down, as she underlined the need for people to wear masks when they go out in public.

“We are relying on Pennsylvanians to do the right thing; to protect themselves, their families and their communities,” state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in an online briefing.

Health officials reported 10,017 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, with the illness now present in 64 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. So far, 136 Pennsylvanians have died as a result of the pandemic.

The latest on COVID-19 in Pa.: 76,436 confirmed cases in 67 counties

On Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf urged state residents to wear a mask when they went out in public, adhering to an updated recommendation from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Saturday, Levine stressed that need again, repeating a maxim that’s spread across social media: “My mask protects you; your mask protects me,” she said

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John L. Micek

A 3-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's Editor-in-Chief. An award-winning political reporter, Micek’s career has taken him from small town meetings and Chicago City Hall to Congress and the Pennsylvania Capitol. His weekly column on U.S. politics is syndicated to 800 newspapers nationwide by Cagle Syndicate. He also contributes commentary and analysis to broadcast outlets in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Micek’s first novel, “Ordinary Angels,” was released in 2019 by Sunbury Press.