The elevated coronavirus level continued Wednesday in Berks County with the report of 38 new cases by the state Department of Health.

Those 38 cases represent nearly 7% of the state total of 570 reported Wednesday. The report is for all results available through Tuesday.

The 38 new cases follows on the heels of 44 reported Tuesday.

The 38 new cases kept the seven-day average the same at 30, but a broader measure, the 14-day average, has been trending up and continued Wednesday, reaching 30, highest since May 28, which on the downside of the spring outbreak.

Despite the recent upswing, the numbers are well off the spring outbreak peak, which showed 118 cases as the 14-day average on April 22.

The longer-term averages smooth out the ups and downs caused by uneven returns of test results and are a better picture of the effect of the virus. And, that better picture shows there is an upturn of COVID-19 cases in Berks.  

The case-per-100,000 rate for Berks was up to 1,353, fourth highest in Pennsylvania and gaining on No. 3 Lehigh County, which was at 1,384.

About a month ago, Berks was in fifth behind Northampton County, which Berks caught, passed and is now in the rearview mirror at 1,319 and falling back.

Like in Berks, long-term care facilities in Lehigh and Northampton were hit hard in the spring outbreak.

Philadelphia and Delaware counties remain far in front at 1,759 and 1,739 cases, respectively, per 100,000 residents.

State results

Statewide, the number of tests involved in the results has been down this week.

There were 21,835 test results reported to the health department to glean the 570 new cases. On Tuesday, the state reported 735 new cases from nearly 19,000 test results. 

Last week, three days in a row were above 25,000 results.

The case total for the pandemic in Pennsylvania was up to 126,149 on Wednesday, creeping up on 1% of the population.  

The state added 24 deaths of Pennsylvania residents on Wednesday, pushing the outbreak total to 7,523.

One of those was of a Berks resident. The state’s count of deaths of Berks residents was up to 376.

The county coroner’s office added one death Wednesday, an 88-year-old man who was a Berks resident. The coroner’s outbreak total is 362, which includes 16 nonresidents.

The data suggest 29 Berks residents have died outside the county. It’s unclear where those residents died.

Nursing homes

The health department reviewed the outbreak in long-term care facilities Wednesday in a press release, saying the updated totals are “20,458 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,298 cases among employees, for a total of 24,756 at 901 distinct facilities in 61 counties.”

The number of cases associated with long-term care facilities is about one-fifth of the pandemic total.

Of the total deaths, 5,104 have occurred in long-term care facilities, or about two-thirds of the pandemic total.

About 9,000 health care workers in Pennsylvania have tested positive for COVID-19, the state said.

The Department of Health reiterated the following recommendations:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

• Cover coughs or sneezes with your elbow.

• Clean surfaces frequently.

• Stay home, especially if you are unwell.

• If you go out, wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.