The percentage of the state’s positive tests for COVID-19 increased for the first time in three months, said Governor Tom Wolf’s office on Monday.
The positive rate rose to 6.5% in the week of March 12 to 18, from 5.7% in the previous week. The rate fell for 12 consecutive weeks before remaining stable at 5.7% for two weeks.
Certainly, the rate of positive coronavirus tests remains well below the 16.2% peak in December. Health officials said a positive test rate in excess of 5% is a source of concern.
Across Pennsylvania, 25 of the state’s 67 counties are seeing substantial spread of the coronavirus. Last week, the Wolf government said 21 counties had high transmission, so there are four more counties with substantial spread. The Wolf administration uses three categories to assess transmission of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial.
Although the number of new infections has dropped substantially since winter, the state saw an increase in the number of new cases last week, Wolf’s office said.
“The number of new cases has increased slightly, as has the percentage of positivity across the state, which is still worrying,” Wolf said in a statement.
“As more and more citizens of Pennsylvania are being vaccinated, we must not forget to follow the mitigation measures still in place,” said Wolf. “As the weather warms up, remember to wear a mask, practice social distance and wash your hands often, as the virus is still present in our communities.”
Overall, the number of counties with high transmission of the virus has been steadily declining in recent weeks. There was a substantial spread across all of the state’s counties during much of December and January.
Citing the drop in new COVID-19 cases, Wolf announced last week that he would begin easing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses from April 4.
Restaurants may exceed 75% of the occupancy limits for indoor dining. Gyms and entertainment venues, including theaters, shopping malls and casinos can also handle up to 75%. The governor also said that internal events can reach 25% of the occupancy limit and external events can reach 50% of the capacity.
A closer look
State officials urged school districts to assess the spread of COVID-19 to determine whether students should be at school, educated remotely or with a combination of distance and face-to-face education. Most school districts are offering at least some face-to-face instruction, but some schools continue to operate remotely.
Only five counties are seeing a low spread of COVID-19. But 37 counties are seeing moderate transmission, according to Wolf’s office.
Allegheny County, which ranks second in population in Pennsylvania, is among those with moderate transmission. Some central Pennsylvania counties, including Cumberland and Dauphin, are also seeing moderate transmission. Philadelphia is having a substantial spread, according to Wolf’s office.
Here is the complete analysis of COVID-19 transmission levels in each county.
Low: Cameron, Forest, Fulton, Potter and Sullivan
Moderate: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Clarion, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Hunting, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland
Substantial: Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Center, Clearfield, Clinton, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming and York
Vaccine implementation
State officials say they are advancing in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, an effort that has been criticized for being too slow.
On Friday, the governor said the initiative to vaccinate teachers and school staff is ahead of schedule and should be completed by the end of the month. School teachers and staff are receiving the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which require only one injection.
Law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, grocery workers and agricultural and food workers will be next in line for Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Wolf said. But it is not yet clear when these workers – who are in Phase 1B – will be vaccinated.
Currently, the launch of the vaccine in the state is still in the first phase: Phase 1A. This phase included health professionals, people aged 65 and over, and young adults with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
More than 2.8 million people in the community are at least partially vaccinated and more than 1.5 million are fully vaccinated, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. State data does not include the city of Philadelphia, which is carrying out its own vaccination effort.
Combining city and state data, more than 3.3 million people in Pennsylvania have had at least one vaccine and about 1.7 million are fully vaccinated.
President Joe Biden said he wants all adults across the country to be eligible for a vaccine by May 1. Wolf said the state could meet that deadline, but warned that many adults would probably still have to wait for vaccines.
Across the state, more than 988,000 people tested positive for coronavirus and nearly 25,000 deaths were associated with COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
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