143 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Luzerne County on Friday; 2 deaths

William O'Boyle, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 22—WILKES-BARRE — The latest Department of Health report on Friday showed Luzerne County with 143 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths. The county's death count is at 915.

The county's total cases are now at 40,221 since the pandemic began last year.

Neighboring Lackawanna County has 22,472 cases and 515 deaths; Monroe County has 19,374 cases and 359 deaths.

The Department of Health on Friday confirmed that as of 12 a.m. there were 4,496 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide cumulative total to 1,530,309.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of Oct. 8 — Oct. 14, stood at 9.7%.

Vaccination highlights

According to the CDC, as of Thursday, Oct. 21:

—Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered.

—21, 71.1% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated.

—Vaccine providers have administered 13,511,900 total vaccine doses, including 430,083 additional doses (which includes additional shots for immuno-compromised individuals and booster shots), as of Friday, Oct. 22.

—6,410,369 people are fully vaccinated; with 29,598 vaccinations administered since yesterday and a seven-day moving average of more than 24,800 people per day receiving vaccinations.

To see a map of locations where you can get a vaccination, go to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.

A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

Statewide data

There are 2,929 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 668 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19.

As of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, there were 88 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 30,903 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

—There are 243,387 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases.

—There are 5,654,885 individuals who have tested negative to date.

In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there have been a total of 78,677 resident cases of COVID-19 to date, and 17,088 cases among employees, for a total of 95,765 at 1,642 distinct facilities in all 67 counties.

Approximately 32,175 of total cases have been among health care workers.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.