By Capital News Service
The same pandemic that restricts travel and manufacturing is having a measurable impact on decreasing air pollution in parts of the Great Lakes region, experts say.
It is an impact that scientists can detect with sensors mounted on NASA satellites and that measure nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that can exacerbate human respiratory problems such as asthma, cause acid rain and speed the creation of ozone and the pace of climate change.
It’s a tricky impact to measure, experts say. Weather, wildfires and other sources of pollution can mask the air quality effect of an economic lockdown. And clean air gains were reported before the pandemic. The Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania reported that in 2019, nitrogen dioxide levels in Pittsburgh had dropped every year since 1999.
65+: 222
The county also added 13 deaths, with dates of death from Dec. 1-14, bringing the county’s total to 688. Five of the deaths were people in their 70s, four in their 80s, three in their 90s and one was more than 100. Seven of the deaths are associated with long-term care facilities. The Pennsylvania Department of Health added 24 deaths in Allegheny County on Wednesday, bringing its total to 741. The discrepancy has been attributed to different reporting methods between the two health departments.
According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 881 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county, a rise of 29 from Tuesday’s 852. The county has 769 ventilators, with 354 in use, but 129 by covid-19 patients. There are also 222 covid-19 patients in Allegheny County ICUs, with just 14.9% of county ICU beds available.
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After two undercover visits, state and Pittsburgh police on Friday raided a Strip District restaurant they said was serving alcohol without a liquor license.
Troopers from the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement seized 116 gallons of malt or brewed alcohol and about 1,035 liters of liquor and wine from Savoy on Penn Avenue, according to state police.
The establishment had its liquor license suspended Oct. 29 after violations of a conditional license with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Police said numerous complaints that Savoy remained open were confirmed by the two undercover visits.
Tom Yerace | Tribune-Review
Allegheny Valley School District Superintendent Pat Graczyk, left, and school board President Larry Pollock in this file photo.
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Five students and staff members at Allegheny Valley School District have tested positive for covid in the past week, the district said.
Spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak said those infected were last in a school building more than a week ago, and the cases are unrelated and do not suggest school community spread. The district is currently offering remote instruction.
In all, seven students and five staffers have tested positive for covid since Oct. 9.
The new deaths reported span from one person in their 20s to one person over 100 (one in their 20s, two in their 60s, three in their 90s, one over 100). The Allegheny County Health Department said it had no additional information on the person in their 20s who died. Dates of death range from Nov. 20 to Sunday.
Ages of new cases range from 3 months to 100 years old, with a median age of 42. Dates of positive tests range from Nov. 20 to Monday, with the county Health Department noting two positive tests are more than a week old.
In Allegheny County, there are 852 covid-19 patients hospitalized, with 218 in the ICU and 129 on ventilators, accord to state Department of Health data. There are 66 ICU and 352 medical/surgical beds available, per the DOH covid-19 dashboard, which equate to 11% and 10% of total beds, respectively.