Pennsylvania's covid report dips under 1,000 for 1st time in over 7 months

It hasn’t happened since Oct. 5. That’s the last time Pennsylvania’s daily covid report showed fewer than 1,000 new cases.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health added just 872 new cases. It’s been 225 days since the state posted such a low number — adding 672 on Oct. 5.

The state’s two-day report — 1,983 cases — is also the lowest posted since Oct. 6 (1,708). The latest two-day report is over 17% less than last week’s (2,399) and over 65% fewer than one month ago (5,675).

The seven-day average of daily cases — 1,775 — dipped to its lowest level since late October.

Cases

Of Pennsylvania’s latest cases in the two-day report, 1,658 were confirmed through PCR tests and 325 were listed as probable. Health officials define a probable case as one in which a patient has a positive viral antigen test or covid symptoms with a “high-risk exposure” to someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

With the latest report, Pennsylvania’s seven-day average PCR positivity rate drops to 14.7%. In early April, it had neared 30%.

The Allegheny County Health Department’s two-day report shows 162 new covid cases — a 15% drop from last week’s 191 cases and an 83% drop from one month ago (428). Of the newest cases, 135 are confirmed and 27 listed as probable. New cases ranged in age from 2 months to 84 years, with a median age of 33 years.

The age breakdown for the latest batch of cases — 80 female, 82 male — are:

• Ages 0-4: 10
• Ages 5-12: 22
• Ages 13-18: 11
• Ages 19-24: 13
• Ages 25-49: 57
• Ages 50-64: 40
• Ages 65 and over: 9

In Westmoreland County, state health officials report 31 new cases — with just 24 reported Sunday and just seven reported Monday. It’s the first time the county has posted a single-digit day since Oct. 3, when no cases were reported.

The county’s latest two-day report is over 40% fewer than last week’s update (52) and 73% fewer than a month ago (115).

Of the county’s newest cases, 28 were confirmed and three were listed as probable.

Philadelphia led all counties in the two-day report with 352 new cases. It was followed by Allegheny (162), Berks (122), Montgomery (110) and Bucks (103).

Other Western Pennsylvania counties two-day reports, with their current total cases are:

• Armstrong: 5,912 (+9)
• Beaver: 15,213 (+15)
• Butler: 17,230 (+23)
• Fayette: 20,734 (+24)
• Indiana: 6,199 (+15)
• Somerset: 7,819 (+16)
• Washington: 17,478 (+17)

Vaccinations

In Pennsylvania, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 67.5% (6,861,865) of the state’s adult population has at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna covid vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson. The number of adults that are fully vaccinated stands at 4,962,018 (48.8%).

Gov. Tom Wolf has said the state’s mask mandate would be lifted when the adult population’s full inoculation level reaches 70%. Until then, Pennsylvania’s universal face covering order remains in effect, meaning unvaccinated individuals, including children, must still comply with the order. The CDC’s updated masking guidance says that fully vaccinated individuals (those two weeks removed from their final dose) may choose not to wear a mask, unless a business or organization, such as a school, requires that added layer of protection.

Wolf received his second dose of the Moderna vaccine Monday in York. “Thank you to health care professionals throughout Pennsylvania that have been on the frontline through the pandemic and continue to serve their communities by administering vaccinations,” he said, urging anyone considering getting the shot to do so. “It is the only way to ensure each of us and our loved ones are safe and healthy as we continue to reopen the commonwealth.”

All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a covid vaccine. The state’s Vaccine Finder can help locate a provider near you.

According to state data, in Allegheny County, 711,765 (58.2% of all residents) have at least one dose, while 506,691 (41.4%) are fully vaccinated. Factoring out those under 18, Allegheny’s one-dose portion jumps to 71.9% and fully vaccination portion becomes 51.2%.

In Westmoreland County, the state reports 162,933 (44.6% of all residents) have at least one dose, while 126,089 (34.5%) are fully vaccinated. Factoring out those under 18, there are 57.4% with one dose in Westmoreland and 44.4% fully vaccinated.

Deaths

Pennsylvania posted an unusually large number of covid-related deaths with Monday’s two-day report: 109. Deaths are usually much lower over the weekends. However, Maggi Barton, deputy press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said the higher total was a result of “ongoing audits to ensure all amended death records represent the impact of covid-19 in our communities.”

Of the latest deaths posted by the state, 52 were recorded in May. The others were scatted from previous months, with 11 of them from 2020 — one from April 2020. Since the pandemic began, Pennsylvania has recorded 26,833 deaths.

With just 318 recorded deaths to date, May is shaping up to be one of the least deadly months in the entire pandemic. September 2020 holds that distinction with 398 deaths.

In Allegheny County, health officials reported five new covid-related deaths on Monday, bringing the county’s total to 1,920. Two of the county’s latest deaths are from April 30. One person was in their 40s, one in their 50s, two in their 70s and one in their 80s.

In Westmoreland County, officials reported five new covid deaths, bringing the total there to 758. Deaths in the county are up, having recorded 10 deaths over the past week. Only a week ago, that number was just two.

Hospitalizations

According to the latest data from OpenSource PA, there are currently 1,436 Pennsylvanians hospitalized for covid-19. Of those, 342 are in intensive care units and 226 on ventilators. The state’s hospital numbers have been dropping rapidly since April 22. In that time, the number of people hospitalized for covid has been nearly cut in half, dropping by 1,406.

In Allegheny County, there are currently 138 people hospitalized for covid, with 47 of them in ICUs and 32 on ventilators. Since April 14, Allegheny’s hospital numbers have dropped by 161.

In Westmoreland County, there are 30 people hospitalized, with three in the ICU and four on ventilators. While Westmoreland’s hospitalized number has dropped by 34 since April 15, the county has been hovering around 30 since the start of May.