With the rise in COVID-19 cases happening just before the Thanksgiving holiday, health experts and local leaders are urging people to avoid even small gatherings. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Kylie Walker spoke with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald about the recent spread of coronavirus cases in the county. “A month ago, our cases were 100 or so now they’re 500,” he said. “You know what the rules are so to speak from the medical professionals we just need to be more diligent.” Fitzgerald said the spread isn’t coming from formal gatherings like work or school, but pointed to informal gatherings that usually happen after hours.“People at work, again, they’re not getting it at work but then after work, they take off their mask, they hang out with their neighbors, they hang out with their friends in an informal setting, the mask comes off, and that’s where we see the spread. So we are really encouraging people to wear your mask, you know what the rules are so to speak from the medical professionals. We just need to be more diligent about following them,” Fitzgerald said.Fitzgerald said Halloween events contributed to much of the COVID-19 cases that the county is currently seeing. “I just want somebody to help us help them,” said Samantha Sham, a nurse in Allegheny County. Sham treats COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit. She shared via Zoom how she and her colleagues are feeling. “You’ve seen firsthand how devastating this virus can be it’s very frustrating and I think healthcare workers are kind of at their wit’s end across the board,” said Sham. On Monday, the city of Philadelphia came out with a new round of restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus. Later that afternoon, Sham sent out a tweet calling on the county to do the same. Fitzgerald said they are evaluating the situation and focusing on not just case counts but also trends. “I think it would be where the case investigators and the contact tracers would say ‘X’ activity is causing all kinds of issues,” Fitzgerald said.
With the rise in COVID-19 cases happening just before the Thanksgiving holiday, health experts and local leaders are urging people to avoid even small gatherings.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Kylie Walker spoke with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald about the recent spread of coronavirus cases in the county.
“A month ago, our cases were 100 or so now they’re 500,” he said. “You know what the rules are so to speak from the medical professionals we just need to be more diligent.”
Fitzgerald said the spread isn’t coming from formal gatherings like work or school, but pointed to informal gatherings that usually happen after hours.
“People at work, again, they’re not getting it at work but then after work, they take off their mask, they hang out with their neighbors, they hang out with their friends in an informal setting, the mask comes off, and that’s where we see the spread. So we are really encouraging people to wear your mask, you know what the rules are so to speak from the medical professionals. We just need to be more diligent about following them,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said Halloween events contributed to much of the COVID-19 cases that the county is currently seeing.
“I just want somebody to help us help them,” said Samantha Sham, a nurse in Allegheny County.
Sham treats COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit. She shared via Zoom how she and her colleagues are feeling.
“You’ve seen firsthand how devastating this virus can be it’s very frustrating and I think healthcare workers are kind of at their wit’s end across the board,” said Sham.
On Monday, the city of Philadelphia came out with a new round of restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus. Later that afternoon, Sham sent out a tweet calling on the county to do the same.
Fitzgerald said they are evaluating the situation and focusing on not just case counts but also trends.
“I think it would be where the case investigators and the contact tracers would say ‘X’ activity is causing all kinds of issues,” Fitzgerald said.