On Wednesday, six Butler County residents were confirmed dead because of COVID-19.

The county also saw an additional 123 confirmed cases, according to the daily report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 156 county residents have died from COVID-19 and 5,600 residents have tested positive for the virus.

As part of its regular update, Butler Health System reported reduced intensive care use at Butler Memorial Hospital along with the deaths of seven patients since Monday's report.

As of Wednesday, Butler Memorial has 54 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Five of those patients are being treated in the intensive care unit, which is six less than reported on Monday.

It was not noted in the report whether all seven deaths came from the intensive care unit, but all seven deaths were reported to the Department of Health Tuesday.

The Department of Health attributes a person's death to the county designated as the deceased's permanent residence. If a person dies in Butler County, but their permanent residence is listed in another county, then they will be attributed to that county's death toll.

This is a breaking news report — read more in Thursday's Butler Eagle.