All counties surrounding Carbon and Schuylkill, are now under a stay at home order due to coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Carbon County still has just two cases of the virus while Schuylkill has 13.

Gov. Tom Wolf expanded stay at home orders to nine new counties on Friday, including Luzerne County, for a total of 19.

Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties are already under a stay at home order. Monroe County has 98 cases and now has two deaths. Lehigh County has increased to 93 cases and two deaths, while Northampton has 79 cases and three deaths.

Under the stay at home order people may only leave their residence for tasks essential to their health and safety, to get necessary services for themselves, engage in outdoor activities, or to perform work at a life-sustaining business.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the decision to add nine counties came after her department determined there was community spread of the virus in those areas.

“In those counties we were seeing those trends, and that explains the governor’s order today,” she said.

The state reported 531 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. That was actually fewer cases than was reported on Thursday (560). The total number of cases is now 2,218.

Levine said she did not think that a one day decrease in the number of new cases is enough to say that the virus’ spread is slowing. She said it’s too early to tell based on the data available.

“We would need to see a consistent decline of new cases over time to show that maybe we have been able to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” she said.

As the number of total cases increases statewide, the Department of Health is releasing new data about patients and the treatment they have received.

About 10 percent of positive COVID-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals. About 3-4 percent required intensive care, and 2 percent have required the use of ventilators.

Pennsylvania Department of Health is now classifying cases and hospitalizations by age group.

People over 65 years old represent 18 percent of the total cases, and 48 percent of hospitalizations.

Ages 50-64 represent 28% of the total cases, and 27% of hospitalizations.

Ages 25-49 represent 40% of the total cases, and 21% of hospitalizations.

Ages 19-24 represent 11%of the total cases and 3% of hospitalizations. People between ages 13-19 represent 2% of the total cases and less than two percent of hospitalizations.

While 19 counties are specifically under a stay at home order, Levine reiterated her message for the entire state to “stay calm, stay home, stay safe.”

Levine was asked whether the state would consider forcing people who travel to New York City to self-isolate for 14 days, like other states have done. She said the governor has not required it.

She said that while the state is monitoring travelers to Pennsylvania, as a rule, everyone in Pennsylvania who is traveling domestically should stay home as much as possible.

“The less you are out and about with other people, the less you are susceptible to getting COVID 19 - and that protects yourself and your family and our community. Only essential travel would be recommended.”

Levine said it will take weeks to see the true effects of the stay at home orders and the school and business closures which are currently in effect. She said the goal is to have a consistent plateau in the number of new cases, which will show that there is a handle on the spread of the virus.

“As that continues, then we’ll discuss that with the governor, then the decision will be made to slowly relax the mitigation orders, but we’re not there yet.”