UPDATE: Luzerne at 21 COVID-19 cases, Montour at 3

HARRISBURG — The most recent numbers from the Department of Health show an increase in confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Luzerne County, as well as new cases in Montour County.

Across the state, 851 people have tested positive for COVID-19, while seven people have died.

In Luzerne County, cases more than doubled from Monday to Tuesday. A total of 21 people have tested positive, up from 10 the previous day.

Three people in Montour County reportedly have tested positive for the disease, a jump from one on Monday.

Wolf shuts school for two more weeks; issues stay-at-home order for two counties

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday ordered residents of Pennsylvania's hardest-hit areas to stay home for at least two weeks to help combat the spread of the new coronavirus that has already sickened hundreds and caused six deaths statewide.

He also shuttered all schools statewide for an additional two weeks.

Noting that Philadelphia has already ordered residents to remain home, Wolf issued his own stay-at-home order for the counties around the city; for Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh; and for Monroe County in the Pocono Mountains.

Columbia County has its first COVID-19 case

HARRISBURG — Columbia County now has one confirmed case of the new coronavirus strain, while Montour County remains at one case as well.

Luzerne jumped from six to seven cases from Saturday to Sunday, while Northumberland still has no reported cases.

Across the state, the number of confirmed positive cases jumped from 371 Saturday to 479 on Sunday.

The death count in the state remained at two, one in Northampton County and one in Allegheny County.

Montour County has first COVID-19 case

DANVILLE — The state says that Montour County has a patient with the new coronavirus.

In numbers released at noon Saturday, Montour County had one of the 371 positive test results in Pennsylvania.

Luzerne County now has six cases, up from two on Friday. Both Columbia and Northumberland counties still have not reported a case.

Across the state, cases in the state jumped from 185 on Thursday to 268 on Friday to 371 on Saturday.

Governor orders non-life-sustaining businesses to shut down

(Here's a link to the governor's list: https://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/system/files/breaking-news/documents/20200319-life-sustaining-business.pdf)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is tightening his directives to businesses to shut down, issuing a dire warning and saying Thursday that all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania must close their physical locations by 8 p.m. to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Courts close statewide

Courts at all levels are closing statewide starting Friday, except for a few urgent functions, as state Supreme Court declared a judicial emergency Wednesday night.

The closure will last through April 3, maybe later, as the state tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

LATEST UPDATE: Still no coronavirus in Columbia, Montour

DANVILLE — The three patients “presumed positive” for the coronavirus that Geisinger health systems says it has treated were outside the area, according to the latest numbers the state Health Department released Wednesday afternoon.

None of the state’s reported 133 cases of COVID-19 were from Columbia, Montour or Northumberland counties, though the number of counties reporting infections jumped from 15 to 18.

The number of cases rose by 37, up from 96 on Tuesday.

Geisinger reports first cases of coronavirus

Geisinger confirmed Tuesday that its hospitals have had three patients with presumed positive results for the virus that causes COVID-19 , but details were scarce.

In a press release, the hospital system said that its officials would collaborate with the Pennsylvania Department of Health on the ongoing care and monitoring of the patients. It did not specify which hospitals the patients had been seen at. A spokesman said the Department of Health would have to release any information about the patients' location, and a call and email there was not immediately returned.

Geisinger preps tents for coronavirus treatment

DANVILLE — Geisinger emergency doctor Doug Kupas predicts it’s only a matter of time until Columbia and Montour counties confirm their first cases of coronavirus.

“We should all just expect that over the next days or weeks we’re going to have cases in every county in Pennsylvania” Kupas said Tuesday, outside Geisinger Medical Center’s emergency center.

That’s where Geisinger yesterday set up a 40-foot by 40-foot tent where patients with coronavirus symptoms will be treated in the days and weeks to come.

Pennsylvania shuts down: Gov orders all non-essential business activity to cease

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf extended a shutdown order to the entire state of Pennsylvania in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus, he said Monday.

Wolf had already called for nonessential government offices to close and nonessential business activity to end in four heavily populated southeastern Pennsylvania counties.

On Monday, he extended that order to the rest of the state.

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