The state Department of Health registered 631 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and the Valley recorded its lowest total since mid-August in the latest data update.
Sunday’s report ended a string of five consecutive days with at least 1,000 new cases. The state’s seven-day rolling average of new cases now sits at 1,007, the lowest total since early August. The last time the state’s rolling seven-day average was less than 1,000 cases was Aug. 2, 2021.
Across the Valley, there were nine total cases, including four in Union County, three in Northumberland and one each in Snyder and Montour. It marked the first time since Aug. 15, 2021, fewer than 10 cases were added in the Valley.
Statewide, there were 75 COVID-related deaths registered, including three in the Valley. The DOH recorded one death in Northumberland County and two in Snyder. Four Snyder County residents have died this month due to complications from COVID-19 after five deaths were recorded among county residents in February.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Johns Hopkins University, across the nation, new cases were down 33 percent over the past week, hospitalizations were down 18 percent and deaths linked to COVID-19 were down 20 percent. In Pennsylvania, the number of new COVID cases is down 43 percent over the last week, deaths were down 10 percent and hospitalizations were down 22 percent.
According to the new CDC guidance, all four Valley counties were seeing high community levels of COVID-19. Across Pennsylvania, 43 counties had low rates — up 27 from last week — 16 had medium and eight had high. The COVID-19 community level is determined by the higher of the new admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.
Across Pennsylvania, 76.7 percent of adults 18 and older are fully vaccinated according to the CDC and 67.1 percent of all residents are fully vaccinated, according to CDC reporting on Saturday.
Hospitalizations
As of noon Sunday, there were 1,058 hospitalizations statewide, down 31 from Saturday. The number of COVID hospitalizations statewide has dropped for 29 consecutive days and was at its lowest point since Aug. 14, 2021.
Statewide, there were 193 in intensive care units (ICUs), down six, and 119 were breathing using ventilators, down three.
There were 62 patients hospitalized locally on Saturday, level with Saturday’s report. There were 48 patients at Geisinger in Danville, two at Geisinger-Shamokin and 12 at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg.
Geisinger’s main campus in Danville had 11 patients in the ICU and seven on a ventilator. There were two COVID patients in the ICU in Shamokin.
At Evangelical, three patients were being treated in the ICU and there was one on a ventilator.
Prisons, state facilities
There were six inmate cases at the medium-security unit in Allenwood on Sunday, the only cases at the three facilities in Allenwood, the same numbers as reported since Friday. According to the Bureau of Prisons, there were also 16 staff cases at USP-Lewisburg.
As of Sunday, there were no active cases among those receiving services and fewer than five staff cases at the Selinsgrove Center, At Danville State Hospital, there were no active infections among those receiving services and fewer than five cases among staff members, according to the state Department of Human Services. At the North Central Secure Treatment Unit, there were fewer than five cases among youth and fewer than five among staff. The DHS does not report numbers fewer than five to avoid identifying individuals.
There were two inmate cases and no staff cases at the State Correctional Institution in Coal Township, according to the state Department of Corrections (DOC). Statewide, there were 73 inmate cases and another 63 staff cases.
