*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* March 15, 2020 *Contact:* Amie M. Downs Communications Director 412-350-3711 (office) 412-327-3700 (cell) Amie.Downs@AlleghenyCounty.us *Allegheny County Announces Two Additional Confirmed Cases of COVID-19* *PITTSBURGH – *The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced today that two additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Allegheny County, bringing the number of confirmed cases to four. The individuals are adults, both in their 60s. One person is currently hospitalized, and the other is in isolation at home. Like with the two previous cases, ACHD has begun a contact investigation. Officials have and will continue to follow up with all individuals identified as close contacts of the two known cases and will enforce appropriate quarantine measures. Additional information regarding these cases cannot be released in order to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. The Health Department continues to field many questions regarding COVID-19 testing in Allegheny County. ACHD is not currently testing for the virus; however, the PA-DOH state laboratory and commercial laboratories are testing. Healthcare providers are reminded that they do not have to receive approval from public health agencies, including PA-DOH and ACHD, and can submit specimens for testing through commercial laboratories. The Health Department anticipates additional local confirmed cases in the coming days. Residents and organizations throughout the county should follow proactive mitigation measures including social distancing, and avoidance of large gatherings and recreational activities like gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls. ACHD continues to consult with government and non-government partners throughout the county and will modify these recommendations as appropriate to protect the health of the public. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough and shortness of breath, please stay at home and contact your primary-care provider to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19. If you do not have a primary care provider and are not sure if you need tested, please contact the Health Department at 412-687-ACHD (412-687-2243). If you need to seek immediate medical care, please call 9-1-1 for assistance, or phone ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency department to allow staff at these locations to prepare for your arrival. The following proactive hygiene measures are strongly encouraged to help stop the virus from spreading in our community: · Washing your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. · Coughing or sneezing into your elbow and not your hands. · Frequently cleaning highly-touched surfaces. · Staying home if you’re sick. Allegheny County will continue to communicate with the public as more information is gathered. For the latest information on COVID-19, visit www.alleghenycounty.us/coronavirus. If you are not yet a subscriber to Allegheny Alerts, we encourage you to create an account at www.alleghenycounty.us/alerts and to subscribe for COVID-19 alerts under the categories of Health Department/Health & Environment. ACHD provides a daily update at 11 a.m. via Allegheny Alerts and additional notifications as information becomes available. # # # Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, forwarding, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. -- *Highland Park Community Council* Visit our website by clicking here. <https://hpccpgh.org/>
