Lehigh County 6th lowest for infections in Pa.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 4,178 additional coronavirus cases Wednesday. The sevenday moving average of newly reported cases was 3,975 cases per day, down 6.2% from a week ago, and down 13.4% over the last 30 days.

To date, there have been 1.55 million infections statewide.

The state’s case rate continues a slow decline, but 11 counties are showing at least 10% week-to-week increases, including Lycoming County, home to Williamsport. Lycoming’s weekly population-adjusted rate of 455.4 cases for each 100,000 residents ranks it fourth in the state after Venango (556.6), Clarion (541.1) and Warren (487.4). But Lycoming’s 114,000 population is almost equal to the top three counties combined.

Schuylkill County is the only local one showing a significant upswing in cases, although Carbon County maintains the highest overall rate in the region.

The lowest rates are in Philadelphia (94.5), Sullivan (98.9), Delaware (128.1), Bucks (130), Lackawanna (130.2) and, in sixth place, Lehigh (133.8).

The state reported 142 deaths Wednesday. The seven-day moving average of deaths per day is 68, compared with 70.4 a week ago, a decrease of 3% in the last seven days.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there are 7.7 million fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania, accounting for 60.1% of the population. An additional 2.1 million people are in need of their follow-up shot. In total, 17.27 million shots have been put into the arms of 9.8 million people, or 76.5% of the state’s residents.

Included in those statewide numbers are 425,959 Lehigh Valley residents who are fully vaccinated, accounting for 63.1% of the local population. In total, 542,263 locals have received 805,030 shots in the arm, accounting for 80.4% of the Valley’s population.

Lehigh County’s 65.8% of fully vaccinated residents — 243,065 people — ranks it as fourth after Montour (71.5%), Forest (68.2%) and Lackawanna (66.4%). Delaware County’s 65.4% of vaccination completion rounds out the top five.

Northampton ranks 11th for its 59.9% — or 182,894 people — who have completed their vaccination series.

An average of 42,580 vaccinations are being administered to Pennsylvania residents each day, according to CDC data. Of those, 19,897 are first doses.

The number of total vaccinations per day is up 92.1% over the last 30 days. The number of first doses being given per day is up 83.5% over the last 30 days.

There were 2,838 people hospitalized as of midday Wednesday, compared with 2,798 Tuesday. Of those, 663 were in intensive care, and 372 were on ventilators.

Statewide hospitalizations have decreased 4.1% over the last week, but are up 9% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the five-county region including Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe report 200 patients, with 53 in intensive care, and 31 on ventilators.

Regional hospitalizations have decreased 7.9% over the last week, and are down 2.6% in the last 30 days. It is the first monthly decrease in hospitalizations since July 29.

The Lehigh Valley reported 110 additional cases, 53 in Lehigh County and 57 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 92,655.

Four new deaths (one in Lehigh County, and three in Northampton County) bring the total to 1,730 (937 in Lehigh, and 793 in Northampton).

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