Pennsylvania sets new daily COVID-19 record: 12,884 new cases
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- On Saturday, Pennsylvania's new daily COVID-19 cases broke yet another record, with 12,884.
Action News spoke with people who were in disbelief.
"Sometimes, I kind of doubt that it's real. But I believe it's real. It's kind of wild," said Kornwipa Sririn of Ardmore, PA, who says she checks the numbers daily.
In Pennsylvania, the number of hospitalizations and patients on ventilators is rising, and many healthcare workers are exhausted.
"They carry the emotional work of dealing, the family members, dealing with the patients and their concerns," said Amy Edgar, a nurse practitioner and a mental health specialist in the Lehigh Valley.
Edgar was also a nursing professor for 15 years and is now hearing from many former students who are struggling and reaching out for help.
"Even in the moments where they're doing amazing work, sometimes it's, 'I need to keep this person alive until the next shift for a family member to come,'" said Edgar.
For folks outside the healthcare industry, the anxiety is intense, including for children.
"She's not going to go into her friend's house. So it's difficult for her. She's online only now," said Sririn of her 9-year-old daughter Ava.
But there are those who aren't worried about COVID-19.
Cierra Parson works in retail and says every day she has to remind customers of the mask policy.
"I have to wear a mask for eight hours, and they won't even wear it for five minutes or however long they're shopping. So I get upset," said Parson.
Delaware's governor issued a warning Saturday after hospitalizations surpassed 300 for the first time since April, saying they and could soon rise above the spring peak. He implored residents to take precautions.
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Lower Moreland reporting COVID cases ahead of switch to hybrid learning
The Lower Moreland School District is reporting new confirmed COVID-19 cases the day before it's scheduled to switch from all-remote learning to a hybrid plan. A letter was sent home to parents in the district earlier Sunday, saying one student and 11 staff members have tested positive or were exposed to someone who was. Parents and guardians of students who attend in-person instruction beginning Monday are being asked to monitor their child's health using the Daily Health Questionnaire provided by the district.
Read the letter HERE.
COVID-19 cases reach highest spike in Delaware County since pandemic began
Delaware County announced on Friday, Dec. 4 its highest daily case count of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and a concern for the hospital system being overrun.
Nearly all Montgomery County hospitals 'at capacity,' county official says
Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, offered a sobering assessment of the state of hospitals in the county on Wednesday.
"Almost every hospital is at capacity. There are two that aren't but the remainder are quite full, " said Arkoosh.
It's a similar scenario in medical centers across Pennsylvania where the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in a hospital is approaching a record 4,800.
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Americans should expect more COVID-related restrictions and advisories for the Christmas holiday, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert.
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