Both state data and a report from Butler Health System show more recent deaths because of COVID-19.

According to Friday's report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, seven county residents were added to the death toll, which is 278 since the beginning of the pandemic.

According to a BHS report Friday, Butler Memorial reported two deaths Wednesday and two deaths Thursday to the Department of Health since its last report on Wednesday.

Clarion Hospital also reported one death Wednesday and one death Thursday.

Butler Memorial also reported having 27 inpatients with COVID-19, which is nine less than Wednesday.

While the county exceeded its two-week average of 5.5 deaths per day on Friday, it saw a decrease in new confirmed cases for a third day in a row and its lowest increase in two weeks. According to state data, the county added 49 new confirmed cases Friday, the lowest single-day increase since Jan. 2. The case counts also came in well below the two-week average of 82.6 cases per day.

The statewide data has shown a similar trend.

On Friday, 6,047 new confirmed cases were added, and 215 more residents died from COVID-19.

The new cases added Friday were below the state's average over the past two weeks of 6,951 per day. Friday's addition of deaths was slightly above the two-week average of 194 per day.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 754,611 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 18,957 have died from the virus.