COVID infection rate declines slightly

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 3,899 additional coronavirus cases on Tuesday. The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 4,442 cases per day, down 5% from a week ago, and down 5.2% over the last 30 days.

Tuesday marks the eighth consecutive day that the rolling average has declined.

To date, there have been 1.52 million infections statewide.

The state reported 64 deaths Tuesday. The seven-day moving average of deaths per day is 75.6, compared with 63.9 a week ago, an increase of 18% in the last seven days, and up 89.6% over the last 30 days.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there are 7.63 million fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania, accounting for 59.6% of the population. An additional 2.04 million people are in need of their follow-up shot. In total, 17 million shots have been put into the arms of 9.67 million people, or 75.5% of the state’s residents.

Included in those statewide numbers are 422,225 Lehigh Valley residents who are fully vaccinated, accounting for 62.6% of the local population. In total, 535,892 locals have received 805,030 shots in the arm, accounting for 79.4% of the Valley’s population.

An average of 40,123 vaccinations are being administered to Pennsylvania residents each day, according to CDC data. Of those, 19,819 are first doses. The number of total vaccinations per day is up 64.3% over the last 30 days. The number of first doses being given per day is up 61.5% over the last 30 days.

Combined data from the state and Philadelphia health departments show that 391,806 booster shots had been administered in Pennsylvania since Aug. 13, including 22,672 in the Lehigh Valley.

There were 3,025 people hospitalized as of midday Tuesday compared with 2,919 Monday. Of those, 694 were in intensive care, and 397 were on ventilators. Statewide hospitalizations have remained steady over the last week, and are up 27.9% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley reported 165 COVID-19 patients Tuesday compared with 151 Monday, including 30 in intensive care, and 18 on ventilators.

Hospitals in the five-county region including Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe report 243 patients, with 42 in intensive care, and 21 on ventilators. Regional hospitalizations have increased 1.3% over the last week, and are up 11.6% in the last 30 days.

The Lehigh Valley reported 158 additional cases, 69 in Lehigh County and 89 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 91,516.

Three new deaths (one in Lehigh County, and two in Northampton County) bring the total to 1,706 (925 in Lehigh, 781 in Northampton).

— Eugene Tauber