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The rate of positive COVID-19 tests increased in Pennsylvania for the second week in a row and more counties are showing substantial spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said on Monday.
The rate of positive tests rose to 7.6% for the week of March 19 to 25, down from 6.5% the week before. Pennsylvania’s positive test rate had fallen for 12 straight weeks before hovering at 5.7% for two weeks, then dropping to 6.5%.
As a reminder, the positive test rate for coronaviruses remains well below the peak of 16.2% in December, but health officials have said that a positive test rate above 5% is cause for concern.
There are now 35 counties showing substantial spread of the coronavirus, the Wolf administration said. Last week, the state reported 25 counties had substantial transmission, so another 10 counties are now seeing a strong spread of COVID-19 over the past week. The Wolf administration uses three categories to assess transmission of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial.
The rise in the positive rate and the growing number of hospitalizations come a week before the state removes some restrictions on restaurants and other businesses. From April 4, restaurants and entertainment venues will be able to serve more customers.
“Throughout this reporting period, we have reached over one million cases of COVID-19 to date in Pennsylvania, as well as an increase in our percentage of positivity statewide,” Wolf said in a statement. “Warmer weather offers opportunities to be outside, but we still need to unite against COVID-19 by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and washing our hands frequently until the virus is no longer a threat in our communities. ”
Overall, the number of counties with high virus transmission has declined steadily in recent weeks. There had been substantial spread to all counties in the state for much of December and January.
To look closer
Statewide, 1,916 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, according to the Department of Health’s online dashboard. That’s well below the high of over 6,300 in December, but more people have been hospitalized in recent days.
State officials have urged school districts to assess the spread of COVID-19 to determine whether students should be in school, educated remotely or with a mix of distance learning and face-to-face teaching. face. The majority of school districts offer at least some in-person instruction, but some schools continue to operate remotely.
Philadelphia and Allegheny counties show substantial transmission of the coronavirus. In central Pennsylvania, Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties are among those showing substantial spread, while Cumberland County is believed to have moderate transmission.
Here is the full breakdown of COVID-19 transmission levels in each county.
Low: Cameron, Forest, Fulton, Potter, Sullivan and Venango
Moderate: Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Crawford, Cumberland, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland
Substantial: Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Center, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Liban, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming and York
Vaccine deployment
As supplies have improved, the state is making progress in distributing COVID-19 vaccines, although many remain frustrated in their quest to secure vaccine appointments.
So far, more than 3.3 million people have had at least one vaccine and more than 1.6 million are fully vaccinated, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. State figures do not include the city of Philadelphia, which receives its own vaccine supply and manages its own deployment.
In Philadelphia, more than 490,000 people have received at least one vaccine and more than 200,000 are fully vaccinated, according to the city’s health department.
Combining data from Philadelphia and the state, here’s the full picture for Pennsylvania: over 3.8 million have had at least one shot, and over 1.8 million are fully immunized. Most of those who have been vaccinated in Pennsylvania have received Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which require two injections.
Teachers, school employees and daycare workers receive the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which only require one vaccine. The governor said the teachers’ vaccination was ahead of schedule and should be completed by the end of the week.
The governor said the next batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines will go to frontline workers, including law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store workers, and food and agriculture workers.
- Who’s next in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Pennsylvania? What’s the calendar?
The Wolf administration, which has been criticized for the pace of the deployment, notes that Pennsylvania is 12th in the country to have its residents at least partially vaccinated, according to federal data. But lawmakers and county officials in some areas, including southeastern Pennsylvania, said the state should work more closely with local and regional partners. Critics also note that the state must do better to immunize people belonging to minority groups.
More than a million people have contracted the coronavirus and more than 25,000 deaths are linked to COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Most of those who are infected suffer from relatively mild symptoms and many do not even get sick, according to health officials. But doctors say the virus poses serious risks to everyone, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
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