Coronavirus pandemic dominated the headlines in 2020 – TribLIVE

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Editors note: Three topics kept us transfixed this year: the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the election and a wave of protests demanding racial justice. As the year comes to an end, the Tribune-Review explores the moments that defined the year.

Amid a pandemic that dominated the news cycle day in and day out for most of the year, 2020 might still be remembered as the year that nothing happened no concerts or festivals, no vacations or far-flung flights, no parties or late nights out at the bar, no graduations, proms, new movie premieres, Black Friday, hugs, reunions or holidays.

The year that changed everything, for most, stole something sacred. For the friends and families of nearly 15,000 who died in Pennsylvania including 899 in Allegheny County and 379 in Westmoreland even more was stolen. For hundreds of thousands of others across the state, life stood still for weeks at a time as they isolated or quarantined from positive tests or possible exposures. Untold numbers will continue on with lingering effects of a virus that at this time one year ago still seemed like a far-off threat one not to cloud the holiday spirit and close of a decade.

Hindsight, though

Spring-summer

On March 6, the virus became a reality in Pennsylvania when Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Rachel Levine announced the first two presumed positive cases in the commonwealth. The two ill patients residents of Delaware and Wayne counties contracted the virus through travel, not community transmission, Levine said. Two more presumed positive cases were announced the next day.

By March 10, long-term care facilities in and around Pittsburgh began limiting visits as a precautionary measure, and some schools began closing because of exposure scares. Three days later, Wolf ordered a two-week closure of all districts across the state.

The same day, March 13, the first case of the virus in Southwestern Pennsylvania was reported in Washington County. One day later, the virus arrived in Allegheny County in two Pittsburgh residents living in the same household, according to county health director Debra Bogen. By March 15, the governor ordered in-person dining at Allegheny County bars and restaurants to halt, and the county saw its first virus-related hospitalization.

When the county announced its first cases on March 14, I was only two days into a job I wasnt supposed to start for a couple of months, Bogen said last week looking back on the year.

She said she was excited for the opportunities before her in Allegheny County, but the pandemic was still on her mind.

Even though I knew the pandemic was coming and would eventually make it to Allegheny County, it didnt quite feel real at the beginning, she said. I was reading about it every day in the news and thinking about it, but I just couldnt quite operationalize it in my head at that point. I wish I had a crystal ball for this pandemic, but sadly I do not.

On March 16, the shutdown went into place, and all nonessential businesses were ordered to close for what began as two weeks. Locally, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties would not see even the beginnings of a phased reopening until May. March 18 saw the states first death from the virus, and Westmoreland County reported its first case March 19.

Bud Mertz, Westmorelands director of public safety, said hed hoped in the beginning the situation would not become as dire as it has, with totals in the county standing at 17,989 cases and 379 deaths as of Dec. 26.

I was hoping we didnt get to that point, he said.

In early April, officials asked residents to wear a mask when in public, and the first hints of how a public health issue would become a political issue were seen. The state surpassed 10,000 cases April 4. Pennsylvania in November crossed that same grim level in covid-19 deaths. The state would hit 100,000 cases one month later.

In mid-May, most Southwestern Pennsylvania counties moved into the yellow phase of Wolfs reopening plan. The move allowed retail stores to reopen, along with child care facilities and liquor stores. Restaurants still could not allow in-person dining, and social gatherings remained limited, though that limit increased from 10 to 25. Later, restaurants received guidance for allowing outdoor dining.

In early June, the region moved into the green phase all types of establishments were permitted to reopen but with capacity limitations. Cases in Allegheny County surged in the weeks after, and Bogen ordered all bars and restaurants to halt on-premise alcohol sales for two weeks.

A rise in cases after weeks of decline prompted state officials to make masks mandatory.

Fall-winter

The long-talked-about resurgence came to fruition and was seen daily as new case counts rose from the hundreds to more than 12,000 some days. The surge has been reflected at the county level as well, with Allegheny County posting new case counts in the thousands and Westmoreland County hitting more than 600 one day in mid-December.

In Westmoreland County, Decembers cases represent 45% of total cases and the months deaths mark 44% of total deaths. At the current rate of cases, its possible, if not likely, that 50% of Westmoreland Countys covid cases occurred in December.

Mertz said one upside, if it can be called that, has been new relationships forged between his department and others across the county.

This pandemic has allowed us to expand and work with and partner with a lot of entities and agencies we were never partnered with before, he said. The relationships have been astronomical to say the least.

Onward

Mertz said he understands how tired people are.

Its going to take some time, and we need to have some patience, he said. I can totally understand everybodys pandemic fatigue, but we dont have any alternative right now. I just hope and pray that everybody stays on board and understands that we can put an end to this.

The end appeared closer in December when two vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were reported to be safe and effective. Both vaccines, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within days of each other were developed faster than any previously approved vaccine in the United States. Scientists said they took advantage of years of technological advances.

The first batches of the Pfizer vaccine using so-called messenger RNA technology arrived in Pittsburgh on Dec. 13. Five UPMC employees, with pomp and circumstance and TV cameras, received the first of their two injections. The event made tangible the long-awaited light at the end of the covid tunnel.

A few days later, frontline workers at Excela Health and Allegheny Health Network began to receive the vaccine. The arrival of the vaccines was called historic, remarkable and unprecedented.

You feel hope, said John Giesey, Emergency department Clinical Director at Excela, one of dozens of workers to get the vaccine.

The vaccines will next be distributed to other groups such as seniors and residents of the regions long-term care facilities. They wont be widely available for the public until late spring or early summer.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh continue to work on another version of a covid vaccine.

Bogen expressed optimism for the new year.

For 2021, know that it will get better, she said. Mitigation measures will work and will start to bring down the case counts. Fewer people will be hospitalized. Fewer people will die. And the vaccine is here. Yes, rollout will seem slow, and I know there is going to be frustration as people wait, but please be patient. There will be vaccine for you.

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, the whole region, is strongest when we work together. Weve seen this time and time again, so lets make 2021 a year of unity and push back the virus so we can return to the way of life we love and are so fiercely proud of.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Coronavirus pandemic dominated the headlines in 2020 - TribLIVE