As the pandemic continues, the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday touted its expanded contact tracing network.

To date, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has 61 contact tracers in its Southwest District, which includes Butler County.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were infectious.

According to Wednesday's report by the Department of Health, Butler County added five confirmed cases of the coronavirus Wednesday and has a total of 468 confirmed cases throughout the pandemic. The county's death toll remained at 14.

Also Wednesday, Butler Health System reported declining hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

Butler Memorial Hospital reported treating five inpatients, four with confirmed cases and one suspected of having the virus. Of the five inpatients, one is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

Likely these patients, along with anyone else who has tested positive for COVID-19, have talked with contact tracers.

The following numbers on the coronavirus pandemic were compiled from regular news releases from the state Department of Health and the Butler Health System. State numbers are compiled based on information submitted to the Department of Health by 11:59 p.m. the previous night.

Read more about contact tracing in Thursday's Butler Eagle.Wednesday's COVID-19 statistics:

Confirmed cases: 468Probable cases: 45Negative tests: 10,291Deaths: 14

New cases: 631Total cases: 103,396New deaths: 25Total deaths: 7,063Recovered: 75 percent

Inpatients: 5Suspected: 1Confirmed: 4ICU: 1Total tests: 12,602Outdoor tests: 4,850Positive tests: 285

Inpatients: 2Suspected: 0Confirmed: 2ICU: 1Total tests: 2,658Outdoor tests: 1,956Positive tests: 66

Allegheny: 6,670 confirmed cases; 92,768 negative; and 214 deathsArmstrong: 129 confirmed; 3,229 negative; and 6 deathsBeaver: 1,018 confirmed; 9,678 negative; and 82 deathsClarion: 67 confirmed; 1,606 negative; and 2 deathsLawrence: 226 confirmed; 4,187 negative; and 9 deathsMercer: 245 confirmed; 6,392 negative; and 9 deathsVenango: 37 confirmed and 2,387 negativeWestmoreland: 1,180 confirmed; 25,664 negative; and 41 deaths