Pennsylvania reports 6K new COVID-19 cases in latest week. Zero counties at high level

Jackie Starkey
·2 min read
2

New confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to fall in Pennsylvania, with the state reporting about 900 fewer cases this week than last.

The falling case counts in the Keystone State come as the U.S. is seeing fewer reported cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus nationwide, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Pennsylvania, for the latest reporting week, which ran March 8 to 14, the state confirmed 6,061 new cases. It is the fourth straight week of falling case counts in the state. These figures do not include cases not reported to the state health department or positives from at-home COVID-19 test kits.

Hospitalizations across the state have also been falling in recent weeks. As of March 15, 747 individuals were at health care facilities with COVID-19, according the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 125 fewer than the prior week.

Of those, 97 patients are in adult intensive care units, and 44 are on ventilators — slightly more than last week.

Despite dropping case counts and hospitalizations, deaths continue to rise. This week’s state update, posted March 15, indicates 119 more individuals succumbed to COVID-19, bringing the state’s death toll to 50,517.

COVID-19 community levels in Pennsylvania

With falling cases and hospitalizations, the number of counties at the CDC’s elevated COVID-19 community levels in Pennsylvania has also fallen.

Last week, two counties — Cameron and Crawford — were at high. This week, both are back at low. Zero counties in the state are at high.

This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the COVID-19 community levels by county as of March 17, 2023. The green counties are at low and the yellow at medium. No counties are at high, orange.
This map of Pennsylvania from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the COVID-19 community levels by county as of March 17, 2023. The green counties are at low and the yellow at medium. No counties are at high, orange.

Additionally, the number of counties at medium has also fallen, from 18 last week to seven as of Thursday’s update.

The levels are calculated weekly based on total new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people, as well as the average percent of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Under scaled back masking guidance, the CDC recommends masking in counties at high. Those at greater risk for severe illness should consider masking in counties at medium. At all levels, staying up to date with vaccinations and boosters is recommended.

COVID-19 in Centre County

Centre County, with 89 cases reported by the CDC in the latest week, remains at a low level. One adjacent county, Clinton, is at medium.

The positivity rate in the county has dropped slightly, from 11.72% to 11.19% as of March 13. The number of tests administered also fell.

As of Thursday, seven patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 at Mount Nittany Health, according to the facility’s dashboard. The patient census for the week peaked at 12 on March 13.

Current patients range in age from 47 to 85, and none are in the ICU.

To find a free COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov.