5,000 COVID cases reported in Pa.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 4,998 additional coronavirus cases Thursday. The sevenday moving average of newly reported cases was 4,202 cases per day, down 8.5% from a week ago, and down 12% over the last 30 days.

To date, there have been 1.53 million infections statewide.

The numbers of additional cases continues to diminish throughout most of the state: 56 of the 67 counties have declining rates when compared with the previous week. Chester and Montgomery counties are two exceptions in the region, increasing 7% and 4% from their rates last week, respectively.

All counties are still above the 100 weekly population-adjusted rate used to designate high transmission areas, and 57 counties are at least twice that rate. The number of counties at more than 500 cases per week for every 100,000 residents has declined from 11 to two — Fulton (571.2) and Cameron (517.2).

Carbon County remains the only area county at more than 300 weekly population-adjusted cases, with a rate of 375.5.

The state reported 94 deaths Thursday. The seven-day moving average of deaths per day is 68.4, compared with 74.6 a week ago, a decrease of 8% in the last seven days, but an increase of 62% from a month ago.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there are 7.65 million fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania, accounting for 59.8% of the population. An additional 2.04 million people are in need of their follow-up shot. In total, 17.06 million shots have been put into the arms of 9.69 million people, or 75.7% of the state’s residents.

Included in those statewide numbers are 423,005 Lehigh Valley residents who are fully vaccinated, accounting for 62.7% of the local population. In total, 536,862 locals have received 805,030 shots in the arm, accounting for 79.6% of the Valley’s population.

An average of 33,977 vaccinations are being administered to Pennsylvania residents each day, according to CDC data. Of those, 16,164 are first doses. The number of total vaccinations per day is up 21.5% over the last 30 days. The number of first doses being given per day is up 15.4% over the last 30 days.

There were 2,929 people hospitalized as of midday Thursday, compared with 2,956 Wednesday. Of those, 668 were in intensive care, and 388 were on ventilators. Statewide hospitalizations have remain unchanged over the last week, and are up 25.2% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley reported 155 COVID-19 patients Thursday compared with 167 Wednesday, including 30 in intensive care, and 17 on ventilators.

Hospitals in the five-county region including Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe report 243 patients, with 44 in intensive care, and 21 on ventilators. Regional hospitalizations have decreased -1.9% over the last week, and are up 11.3% in the last 30 days.

The Lehigh Valley reported 193 additional cases, 88 in Lehigh County and 105 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 91,838.

Two new deaths, both in Lehigh County, bring the total to 1,715 (932 in Lehigh, and 783 in Northampton).

— Eugene Tauber