Lehigh Valley hits vaccination milestone
By Eugene Tauber
The state Health Department reported 5,650 additional coronavirus cases on Friday. The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 4,916, up 12% from 4,384 a week ago, and up 92% from a month ago.
The additional cases were enough to move the state up two notches in one day on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of states, territories and cities for the highest rate of coronavirus cases when adjusted for population.
Michigan’s average 552 cases per week per 100,000 residents put it far ahead of second-ranked Rhode Island’s 303 weekly rate. New Jersey remains in the third spot with 283 cases per week, but Pennsylvania’s statewide rate of 264 weekly cases per 100,000 population pushed it past New York City (which is administered separately from the rest of the state) and Minnesota to take the No. 4 spot in the list. Minnesota, Delaware and NYC now follow Pa. in the rankings.
But the rate varies widely from county to county in Pennsylvania, from fewer than 28 per week to more than 416.
To date, there have been 1.10 million infections statewide since the start of the pandemic. received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 276,976 people who have gotten one of 438,173 vaccinations administered locally, accounting for 50.5% of those eligible.
There are 161,197 fully vaccinated Valley residents — 29.4% of those eligible — and another 115,779 — 21.1% of eligible people — who are awaiting their second shot.
Combined data from the state and Philadelphia health departments show that 42.6% of eligible people in all 67 counties — 4.46 million people — are at least partially inoculated against COVID-19, having gotten one of the 7.53 million shots administered. More than 3 million people statewide — 29.4% of the 16-and-over population — are fully vaccinated, and another 1.38 million people — 13.2% of those eligible — are awaiting their follow-up shot. risen about 7% since last week, and about 73% over the last month.
Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley report 192 COVID-19 patients, with 39 in intensive care and 25 on ventilators. Local hospitalizations are virtually unchanged week-to-week but have increased 66% over the last month.