The state’s positive tests for COVID-19 are still going down and for the first time in seven weeks, not all provinces in the country are showing a significant spread of the virus, Tom Wolf’s government said Monday.
The state’s positive test rate for the coronavirus dropped to 10.5% during the week of January 15-21, compared to 12.7% during the previous week. The positive test score has now dropped to six consecutive weeks after reaching a high of 16.2% in December.
While the rate is falling, health officials said a positive test rate of 5% is a worrying sign of distribution in the community.
The Wolf administration said COVID-19 in 66 of Pennsylvania’s 67 provinces is now being strongly transmitted. The state has significantly spread the coronavirus in every province of Pennsylvania over the past six weeks, so the streak has ended.
In one province – Cameron County – the virus is rarely transmitted. The Wolf administration uses three categories to measure the distribution of COVID-19: low, moderate, and significant.
“After six consecutive weeks of all 67 provinces reporting the significant level of transmission, we now have one country moving into the low level of transmission category – a major sign of progress,” Wolf said in a statement.
“But there is still more work to be done, and we must not become complacent,” he said. “I believe we can sustain this public health practice to continue the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities, keep each other safe and continue to implement the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported fewer new infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks. About 3,900 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in hospitals, up from a peak of more than 6,300 in December.
The state has seen an increase in COVID-19 deaths in recent weeks. Last week, the health department reported that the number of coronavirus deaths had risen above 20,000. It took eight months for the state to see 10,000 deaths, but less than two months before the number doubled.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pa still fall, although state still reports 138 deaths
Government officials have asked school officials to consider the extent of the spread of the community of COVID-19 to determine whether students should be in school or remotely trained. Earlier this month, the Wolf administration said it recommended school districts focus on returning elementary school students to classrooms, even in provinces with a significant spread of the virus. The state recommends high schools and middle schools to continue with distance education in widely distributed provinces.
Local school leaders continue to appeal to deciding whether to keep schools personal, remote or with a mix of face-to-face and virtual education. The guidelines of the state are recommendations only.
Last week, Wolf said he was nominating Alison Beam, his deputy chief of staff, to replace Pennsylvania’s outgoing health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, to succeed. President Joe Biden has named Levine as his assistant to health.
Beam’s top priority is to oversee the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in Pennsylvania, an effort that has received increasing criticism.
The Wolf administration last week expanded admissions to the vaccines so that people over 65 and younger with high-risk conditions could get the vaccines. But many had difficulty finding the vaccines because demand far exceeded the available supply. More health systems, pharmacies and grocery stores are starting to get limited vaccines, but government officials are urging Pennsylvaniaers to be patient.
The governor also called dr. Wendy Braund appointed interim acting physician, replacing Levine in the position. She serves as COVID-19 Response Director for the Department of Health.
More than 807,000 people in Pennsylvania have contracted the coronavirus and more than 20,600 deaths have been linked, according to COVID-19, according to the Department of Health.
Most of those infected recover to relatively mild symptoms and many never get sick. But health experts warn that the coronavirus poses a risk to everyone, especially those who are elderly and those with medical problems.
Although the state is working to increase the distribution of vaccines, health officials stress the importance of wearing masks and practicing social distance.
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