Infection rates fall to 22,564 for week; 159 deaths

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 22,564 additional coronavirus cases this week, the second consecutive week of declining totals. The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 3,223 cases per day, down 9.2% from a week ago, but up 82.5% over the last 30 days.

The declining numbers are reflected in the recategorization of many Pennsylvania counties from having high community levels to medium or low levels. The community level assessment from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an attempt to gauge the overall impact of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations on a county’s health care infrastructure.

Only 8 of the state’s 67 counties are in the high category, including Schuylkill and Monroe. Nineteen counties — including Lehigh, Northampton Carbon, Montgomery

and Bucks — are assessed to have medium community levels. The remaining 40 counties, including Berks, are in the low category for the week.

When looking at virus transmission levels apart from their estimated community impact, 65 of 67 counties accounting for 99.7% of the state’s population are still experiencing high levels of viral infections, but those infections are having little impact on the local population.

A high transmission rate is defined as at least 100 cases per week for every 100,000 people in an area. Pennsylvania’s statewide rate is 176 population-adjusted cases for the past week, nearly twice the threshold for high transmission. More than 98% of Pennsylvania residents live in the 59 counties that experienced high virus transmission rates over the past week, according to Health Department numbers.

Allegheny remains the place with the most infections when adjusted for population. It added 2,891 cases this week — more than any other county. When adjusted for population, Allegheny’s rate is 237.7 weekly cases per 100,000 residents. Luzerne (225.9), Montour (224.9), Monroe (216.1) and Tioga (214.3) round out the top five.

To date, there have been 2.95 million infections statewide.

Deaths

There were 159 additional deaths reported over the past week. The seven-day moving average of deaths per day is 22.7, compared with 15.3 a week ago, an increase of 48.6% in the last seven days. Pennsylvania has recorded 45,413 deaths since March 2020.

Vaccinations

The latest data from the CDC show:

There are 8.86 million fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania, accounting for 69.2% of the population. An additional 2.11 million people are in need of their follow-up shot. In total, 23.6 million shots have been put into the arms of 10.97 million people, or 85.7% of the state’s residents.

Included in those statewide numbers are 481,976 Lehigh Valley residents who are fully vaccinated, accounting for 71.4% of the local population. In total, 560,483 locals have received 1,230,570 shots in the arm, accounting for 83.1% of the Valley’s population.

An average of 15,463 vaccinations are being administered to Pennsylvania residents each day, according to CDC data. Of those, 2,696 are first doses. The number of total vaccinations per day is down 24.9% over the last 30 days. The number of first doses being given per day is down 24.1% over the last 30 days.

Hospitalizations

There were 1,213 people hospitalized according to the latest report, with 133 in intensive care, and 51 on ventilators.

Statewide hospitalizations have decreased 1.7% over the last week, and are up 62.4% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley reported 105 COVID-19 patients, including 11 in intensive care, and four on ventilators.

Local hospitalizations have increased 1.2% over the last week, and are up 36% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the five-county region including Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe report 136 patients, with 13 in intensive care, and four on ventilators.

Regional hospitalizations have decreased 14% over the last week, and are up 21.3% in the last 30 days.

Lehigh Valley

Cases: 1,135 additional case reports, with 614 in Lehigh County, 521 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 179,231.

Deaths: 8 new deaths (three in Lehigh County, and five in Northampton County. That brings the total to 2,380 (1,264 in Lehigh, and 1,116 in Northampton).