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By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny County Director of Health Dr Debra Bogen opened her weekly COVID-19 briefing by saying: “I would like to have some good news to share today. Unfortunately, I don’t.
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Bogen says the number of average daily cases has nearly doubled over the past week. While the positivity percentage hovered around 1% for much of June until early July, it is now 5%. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, but she says they are not as high as in other parts of the country where vaccination rates are lower.
Health experts say the more contagious delta variant and unvaccinated Americans are fueling an increase in cases, and Bogen says the impact is being seen on children in Allegheny County. In July, Bogen said 25 children aged 0 to 4 in Allegheny County had COVID-19. In the first third of August alone, that number rose to 67.
For parents who do not get their children vaccinated because their infections are usually not as severe, Bogen says the long-term effects of the virus on children are not yet known and they can still infect other people. .
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“I don’t think it’s a good idea to let children get infected just because they have mild illness,” Bogen said.
To protect children, Bogen urges people to follow CDC guidelines and wear masks.
Bogen says people have reached out to either urge him to issue a county-wide mask warrant for schools while others have opposed it. She says her position remains the same and that she will continue to strongly encourage schools to follow CDC guidelines, which recommend that everyone mask themselves in K-12 schools.
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While Allegheny County Director Fitzgerald said “we wish we had better news,” the new figures are cause for concern. When it comes to a mask warrant for everyone, he says everything is on the table right now to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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