1 PA county remains at high COVID community level as new cases and deaths slow

A number of metrics, including deaths, hospitalizations and new reported COVID-19 cases, have fallen over the last week in Pennsylvania, though the number of individuals receiving serious treatment via ventilators rose.

According the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 1,347 individuals are hospitalized across the state with COVID-19 as of Jan. 18. That’s down by 220 from the same time a week prior. While the number of the most serious cases, those in adult intensive care units, also fell, from 203 to 191, the number of patients on ventilators rose from 77 to 84.

These serious cases come as hospitals across the state and country struggle to treat amid a “tripledemic” – the convergence of a number of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, the annual flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Other measures of COVID-19 have fallen in Pennsylvania for the second straight week, however. The state reported 10,902 new cases for the seven-day period from Jan. 11 to Jan. 17. That’s a drop from 14,713 the week prior. Neither count includes at-home positive tests and other cases not reported to health authorities.

Though coronavirus deaths were down for the most recent reporting week, the PA Department of Health still reported 134 new causalities, bringing the state’s death toll to 49,397.

According to John Hopkins University and Medicine, the state as a whole is averaging 33 COVID deaths and 2,176 new cases a day as of Jan. 7.

The state’s positivity rate as of Thursday was between 10 and 14.9%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the weekly case rate sat at 119 cases per 100,000 individuals.

COVID-19 community levels in Pennsylvania

Like last week, just one Pennsylvania county – Pike – falls into the CDC’s high COVID-19 community level as of Thursday.

The levels are updated weekly and based on new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people (seven-day totals) and the percent of COVID-occupied designated hospital beds (a seven-day average).

In counties at high, the CDC recommends masking in public, while those at higher risk for severe illness are encouraged to take precautions in counties at medium. At all levels, individuals should stay up to date on vaccines.

The number of counties at medium in the state fell over the last week from 42 to 30, and 36 are at low as of Thursday.

Centre County’s community level dropped from medium to low in the latest CDC update.

The federal agency reports a dip in new cases there, from 134 down to 107, though the positivity rate continued to climb, reaching 11.31%.

COVID-19 vaccination

John Hopkins reports Pennsylvania’s vaccination rate at 73.16%.

Most people are eligible for the updated bivalent booster, though the CDC tracker indicates less than 20% of Pennsylvanians ages 5 and older have gotten the new dose.

Manufacturers updated the shot to better protect against severe illness from omicron strains of the coronavirus, the newest of which – XBB.1.5 – is spreading through the U.S.

To find a vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov.

Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.