Luzerne County manager notes coronavirus death milestone

When releasing his latest batch of coronavirus statistics Thursday, Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri observed more than 150 residents have now died in the pandemic.

The first local death was announced on March 25, and the county exceeded the 100 mark at the start of May. On Thursday, the county was up to 156 deaths.

While the focus is now on reopening, or getting more people safely back into public circulation, Pedri said people should be aware families are still losing loved ones.

“People are still dying from this. We should all stop and say a prayer for the members of our community who are not with us anymore,” Pedri said.

Many victims have been elderly in nursing and personal care homes, but that’s not always the case, Pedri noted.

For example, his statistics of the last 20 deaths included a 58-year-old hospitalized man. Among the other hospital deaths were three men and a woman between the ages of 62 and 67.

As previously reported, at least three victims were in their 40s.

Residents have done a “phenomenal” job complying with safety protocols, which allowed the county’s advancement to the less restrictive yellow phase of reopening, Pedri said. The actions of residents also kept the death count lower than initially projected, he said.

“But these rising numbers only prove the virus is still in our community. We have to maintain our good hygiene and social distancing until we can be safe again,” he said.