Overdose deaths in Pennsylvania grew along with the national rate last year during the pandemic, according to new federal estimates. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 5,172 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania last year, a jump of 16% from in 2019. Nationally, the agency’s estimate of over 93,000 was a 29% increase. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the overdose epidemic, as lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get, experts said.