UPDATE (3/20): Pennsylvania surpasses 200 cases with 83 new positives, including in Lehigh Valley

UPDATE (3/19): Bethlehem casino worker latest positive coronavirus case in the Lehigh Valley

Three more Pennsylvania counties reported their first new coronavirus cases on Thursday while jumps in the Lehigh Valley, Poconos and Philadelphia pushed the state total to 185 – a spike of 52 known cases from the prior day.

The pace of testing and results has risen sharply since commercial and hospital laboratories took over most of the burden from state facilities. A week ago Thursday, there were only 22 reported cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.

Northampton County, where Pennsylvania’s first coronavirus-related death was reported Wednesday, had four new cases on Thursday, according to figures released at noon by the Pennsylvania Health Department. Lehigh County had no new reports.

The Lehigh Valley total now stands at six. Two Lehigh University students tested positive after traveling and are in isolation at home – in its announcement, the university did not disclose where the students live so it is not known where those cases have been counted.

Monroe County, immediately north of the Lehigh Valley, had eight new cases. To the south, Bucks County, has three new reports.

Philadelphia had the state’s biggest leap on Thursday with 16 new positive tests for COVID-19.

A county-by-county breakdown of new cases in Thursday’s health department report:

Adams County: 1 new, its first.

Allegheny County: 5 new, 16 total.

Bucks County: 3 new, 12 total.

Chester County: 1 new, 10 total.

Cumberland County: 1 new, 11 total.

Lackawanna County: 1 new, 2 total.

Lebanon County: 1 new, its first.

Monroe County: 8 new, 15 total.

Montgomery County: 5 new, 47 total.

Northampton County: 4 new, 5 total.

Philadelphia County: 16 new, 33 total.

Pike County: 1 new, 3 total.

Washington County: 1 new, 3 total.

Westmoreland County: 2 new, its first.

The health department also reported 1,608 residents have tested negative for the coronavirus.

During Thursday’s daily press briefing, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said new cases in more counties suggest that “community spread” – when a source of exposure to the virus cannot be determined – is happening.

Pennsylvania is no longer differentiating between “presumptive positive” state-level tests and tests confirmed by the federal Centers for Disease Control. The distinction was based on old guidelines, Levine said. The CDC now accepts results from state, hospital and commercial labs as confirmed.

Levine also said that Pennsylvania is not tracking statistics on COVID-19 recoveries, following CDC guidelines and definitions.

If you may have been exposed or exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 – fever, cough and shortness of breath – contact your healthcare provider.

For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov and the CDC website.

These are the main symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.CDC

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. If there’s anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.