Average daily case rate at 4-month low

The state Health Department reported 2,356 additional coronavirus cases Thursday, with the seven-day moving average of newly reported cases now 2,428, down 22% from a week ago.

The average daily case rate is at a four-month low, but it is still six times higher than it was in the third week of June.

The moving average has been on a steady decline, save for one day, over the last three weeks.

To date, there have been 922,990 infections statewide since the start of the pandemic.

The state reported 81 deaths. The average number of deaths per day has been falling dramatically in Pennsylvania, from 202 a month ago to an average of 65 Thursday.

Slightly over 1 million Pennsylvanians have gotten their first dose of a COVID vaccine, according to combined data from the state and Philadelphia health departments, which accounts for 9.7% of the 16-and-over population that is eligible for vaccination. An additional 710,000 people are fully immunized. Together, over 1.72 million people — or 16.4% of those eligible — are at least partially immunized against COVID.

Almost 11% of eligible Lehigh Valley residents have gotten their first shot, and 10% have received both required shots. A total of 113,133 Lehigh Valley residents are at least partially immunized.

There were 1,962 people hospitalized as of midday Thursday, compared with 1,972 Wednesday. Of those, 229 were on ventilators, and 421 were in intensive care beds.

Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley are reporting 159 patients, and that 16 of the 25 intensive care patients are on ventilators.

In the Lehigh Valley, there were 186 additional cases reported, with 90 in Lehigh County and 96 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 57,030.

Five new deaths, all in Northampton County, compared with nine the day before. That brings the total to 1,394.

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