Number of PA counties at high COVID community level jumps to 13. See latest CDC map

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania reported another 22,277 new coronavirus cases this week, and 13 counties have been scored at high COVID-19 community levels, as of Friday, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC updates its community levels weekly on Thursday, and as part of its July 28 update, upgraded Centre County from a low level to a medium.

Mercer, Washington, Greene, Fayette, Forest, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Fulton, Franklin, Montour and Sullivan counties were all at a high level as of Friday.

Thirty-one counties are at a medium level.

Last week just four counties were scored high: Mercer, Fayette, Washington and Montour.

In counties were the community level is high, the CDC recommends masking in indoor, public places.

At low levels, individuals are encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted and test if they have symptoms. At medium, those who are at higher risk of severe illness should consider masking.

Those who test positive or come in contact with a COVID-positive individual should wear a mask in public and seek testing, regardless of community level.

According to the CDC’s dashboard for the state, Pennsylvania was reporting a seven-day case count of 22,277, with 116 reported deaths and positivity rate in the range of 15% to 19.9%.

The seven-day rolling average for hospital admissions across the state was 196.29.

The state’s positivity rate and hospitalizations are increasing once more, though cases aren’t seeing a dramatic surge, according to CDC data.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports there are 1,188 individuals hospitalized across the state for COVID-19 as of July 27. Of those, 118 are in intensive care and 42 are on ventilators.

COVID-19 in Centre County

In State College, Mount Nittany Health was reporting 12 COVID-19 patients as of Friday. That census has dropped from 18 Tuesday. Those hospitalized are aged 23 to 84.

There were 307 new cases reported in Centre County this week, with a case rate of 189.06.

The local positivity rate is 18.47%, and 1,577 tests were reportedly performed in the last week, though this number is a known undercount due to the rise of home testing.

BA.5 in the U.S.

Though Pennsylvania is not currently seeing the sharp uptick in cases that some other parts of the country are experiencing, the BA.5 omicron variant is driving new cases there amid declining — or in some cases, a lack of — public health measures.

Highly transmissible and more vaccine resistant, BA.5 and BA.4, another omicron variant, make up about 95% of cases in the U.S.

The New York Times reported Thursday the Biden administration was looking to greenlight second boosters for those younger than age 50 in September. The delay comes as drug development is underway for new formulas to better protect from BA.5.