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The rate of positive tests for COVID-19 in the state continues to decline and for the first time in seven weeks not all counties in the state show substantial spread of the virus, the governor’s administration said on Monday. Tom Wolf.
The state’s positive test rate for the coronavirus fell to 10.5% in the week of January 15 to 21, from 12.7% the week before. The positive test rate has now dropped for six consecutive weeks after peaking at 16.2% in December.
While the rate is on the decline, health officials said a 5% positive test rate was a worrying sign of the community’s spread.
The Wolf administration said there is now substantial transmission of COVID-19 in 66 of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The state had seen substantial spread of the coronavirus in every county in Pennsylvania over the previous six weeks, so that streak has ended.
One county – Cameron County – is experiencing low transmission of the virus. The Wolf administration uses three categories to assess the spread of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial.
“After six consecutive weeks from all 67 counties reporting the substantial level of transmission, we now have a county moving into the low transmission category – a great sign of progress,” Wolf said in a statement.
“But we still have work to do and we must not become complacent,” he said. “I believe we can maintain these best public health practices to continue to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities, keep each other safe and move forward with the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is reporting fewer new infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks. About 3,900 COVID-19 patients are treated in hospitals, up from a peak of more than 6,300 in December.
The state has seen an increase in COVID-19-related deaths in recent weeks. Last week, the health department reported that the death toll from coronaviruses had passed 20,000. It took the state eight months to see 10,000 deaths, but less than two months for that number to double.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania continue to decline, though state reports 138 more deaths
State officials have asked school officials to take into account the extent of the community spread of COVID-19 when determining whether students should be schooled or educated remotely. Earlier this month, the Wolf administration said it was recommending school districts focus on getting elementary school students back to classrooms, even in counties where the virus is spreading significantly. The state advises high schools and colleges to pursue distance education in widely distributed counties.
Yet local school leaders continue to appeal over whether schools should run classes in person, distance, or with a mix of face-to-face and virtual instruction. State directives are only recommendations.
Last week, Wolf said he was appointing Alison Beam, his deputy chief of staff, to succeed outgoing Pennsylvania health secretary Dr Rachel Levine. President Joe Biden has appointed Levine to be his Assistant Secretary for Health.
Beam’s top priority will be overseeing the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Pennsylvania, an effort that has come under increasing criticism.
The Wolf administration expanded vaccine eligibility last week, allowing people over 65 and younger with high-risk illnesses to get vaccinated. But many have struggled to find the vaccines as demand far exceeded the available supply. More health systems, pharmacies and grocery stores are starting to have limited vaccine supplies, but state officials are urging Pennsylvanians to be patient.
The governor also appointed Dr Wendy Braund as Acting General Surgeon, replacing Levine in that post. She was the COVID-19 response director for the state’s health department.
More than 807,000 people in Pennsylvania have contracted the coronavirus and more than 20,600 deaths have been linked to COVID-19, according to the state health department.
Most of those who are infected recover after dealing with relatively mild symptoms, and many never get sick. But health experts warn that the coronavirus poses a risk to everyone, especially the elderly and those with health problems.
Even as the state strives to speed up vaccine distribution, health officials are emphasizing the importance of masks and social distancing.
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