Pa. makes adults vaccine eligible one week early
All Pennsylvania adults are eligible to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine today, one week earlier than planned, Gov. Tom Wolf announced in a release Monday.
“We need to maintain acceleration of the vaccine rollout, especially as case counts and hospitalization rates have increased,” Wolf said, citing President Joe Biden’s decision to advance universal adult vaccination from May 1 to April 19 as a factor in the administration’s decision.
Eligibility for all adult Pennsylvanians was originally scheduled to open April 19.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains a map of COVID-19 vaccine providers at https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/ Vaccine.aspx. Officials said appointments are available in many parts of the state, even though Phases 1A and 1B of the vaccine rollout are ongoing
and Phases 1C and 2 begin today.
Upcoming vaccination opportunities include a clinic planned for April 19, 20 and 21 at Plylers Restaurant at 234 Allegheny Boulevard, Brookville. Appointments are now available on the Means-Lauf website. They can also be made by calling 814-849-7504 and speaking to a Means-Lauf representative.
In addition, Penn Highlands Healthcare is planning a mega vaccine clinic Saturday, April 24, at DuBois Central Catholic. An appointment can be scheduled online at the Penn Highlands Healthcare website.
“This further-accelerated plan will move us much closer to the goal of vaccinating Pennsylvanians as quickly and equitably as possible,” Wolf said.
To date, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, approximately 2.4 million residents have been fully vaccinated, and another 1.8 million have received the first of a two-dose series. The Centers for Disease Control ranks Pennsylvania fifth among all states for total doses administered and 11th for first doses by percentage of population.
After tallying Monday’s reports, Pennsylvania has a cumulative total of 1,075,424 cases of COVID-19 and 25,406 deaths as a result of the virus. Hospitals are currently treating 2,460 patients with COVID-19, 516 of them in intensive care units.
Locally, Jefferson County’s Monday report was small, only three new cases bringing its cumulative total to 3,077.
However, the Punxsutawney Area School District reported its first case of COVID-19 in nearly a month. This one was identified in a student at the elementary school on Monday. No other students, teachers or staff were known to have been exposed. The district’s last case occurred March 17.
Clearfield County had 25 more cases for a total of 7,607, and Indiana County had 12 more for a total of 5,588. None of the three counties reported any further deaths, leaving their totals at 91 in Jefferson, 130 in Clearfield and 164 in Indiana.