The following are excerpts from Governor Wolf’s statement this afternoon:
I come to you with a heavy heart. Earlier today the Department of Health confirmed that a person in Northampton county passed away from COVID-19.
This is the first death from the novel coronavirus in Pennsylvania.
For the sake of the family’s privacy we will not providing any initial information on the individual at this time.
I bring you this news because it demonstrates the severity of COVID-19.
In under two weeks more than 130 cases have been identified within our borders and the spread of COVID-19 across our commonwealth is increasing at an exponential pace.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has characteristics that make it difficult to control.
We know it can be transmitted person to person through simple contact and it lives on surfaces for lengthy periods of time.
That is why it is essential to keep as many persons as possible away from each other.
I ask all people to stay home.