The county topped its record for daily cases of COVID-19 for the third day straight and tied its high in recorded deaths, according to state data.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health's report Friday, Butler County added 163 confirmed cases of the virus and seven deaths to its totals.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,341 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 117 have died due to the virus.

At the state level, there were 12,745 new confirmed cases, as well as 225 deaths. The state also reported a new high of 5,877 people hospitalized statewide with 1,218 of those being treated in intensive care units.

According to a Friday report, Butler Health System continued its own issues with capacity.

Butler Memorial Hospital reported one death of an inpatient Thursday and 52 hospitalized patients Friday, all but one of whom had confirmed cases of COVID-19. Twelve of the COVID-19 inpatients are being treated in the intensive care unit.

Clarion Hospital's inpatient levels remained steady at 20 with all having confirmed cases except one. Two patients are being treated in its intensive care unit.

The latest orders imposing stricter COVID-19 mitigation efforts will begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and continue until 8 a.m. Jan. 4.

In a news conference Thursday, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the earliest the department expects to see results from the tactics could be two weeks from Saturday. Two weeks is believed to be the longest incubation period of the virus.

She suggested it may be more likely the results will show toward the end of the month, after the Christmas holiday.