COVID-19 cases on the decline in PA. These 2 counties are at CDC’s medium community level

Matt DiSanto
Updated ·3 min read

COVID-19 cases and deaths remained relatively stable in Pennsylvania this week, according to updates from health officials.

For the latest week with available data, April 5 to 11, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reports 3,427 cases. That’s down from 4,061 cases last week and 6,964 from roughly one month ago.

Pennsylvania’s downward trend of reported cases follows national shifts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported roughly 122,600 new cases across the country for the week ending April 5, but that figure fell to approximately 101,400 so far this week. Notably, recent CDC case counts do not include data from Iowa, which ended mandatory reporting at the start of April.

Deaths in the commonwealth stemming from COVID-19 — often considered a lagging indicator — have also dropped recently. Eighty people died from the virus during the most recent reporting period, the CDC says, marking an increase from the 67 deaths reported last week while falling below the 119 deaths reported in mid-March.

Through April 12, Pennsylvania’s DOH has reported 50,860 deaths, representing roughly 4.5% of the 1.13 million COVID-19 deaths across the U.S. reported to the CDC since the pandemic began. The CDC has so far reported 1,327 deaths for the week ending April 12.

Pennsylvania’s hospitalization metrics are also declining. Just 430 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across the commonwealth, with 55 adults in intensive care and 24 patients on a ventilator, the state DOH reports.

COVID-19 community levels in Pennsylvania

The CDC’s most recent update shows just two Pennsylvania counties with elevated COVID-19 community levels. Elk and Mercer counties are at medium, while the remaining 65 counties are at low.

This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 community levels by county as of April 14, 2023. Elk and Mercer counties are at medium, or yellow, while the rest are at low, or green.
This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows COVID-19 community levels by county as of April 14, 2023. Elk and Mercer counties are at medium, or yellow, while the rest are at low, or green.

Mercer County is at medium for the second week in a row. Elk County dropped to low last week but found itself at medium the week before.

Each week, the federal agency updates the community level metrics through data points like new cases, hospitalizations per 100,000 people and the average percentage of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

The CDC says those who are at an elevated risk for severe illness should wear masks in public when counties are at a medium community level. When that level is high, the CDC recommends all individuals wear masks.

COVID-19 in Centre County

Centre County remains at a low community level with 46 cases reported in the last week, according to the CDC.

The county’s weekly case rate sits at 28.33 cases per 100,000 people, coupled with a positivity rate of roughly 4% since early April.

Mount Nittany Health reports three hospitalized COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, according to the health network’s online dashboard. They range in age from 65 to 77, and none are in intensive care or using a ventilator.

Those in Centre County and across the commonwealth can do their part in protecting the community by staying up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine. If you last received a shot before September 2022, the CDC says you are due for a booster. Visit vaccines.gov to find a free shot near you.