HARRISBURG – The COVID-19 slow rise continued across Pennsylvania and the Valley in the past week. There was an average of 4,200 cases daily, statewide and an average of about 50 daily cases in our area.
These are weekly numbers from the state Department of Health reported Wednesday. They say there were 29,664 new daily cases were reported in the last week. This brings the pandemic total to 2,907,324.
There were also 350 new Valley cases reported since last week. 192 of those cases (27 daily, on average) were in Northumberland County. They’ve reached 23,541 cases since the start of the pandemic.
Union County had 57 new cases in the last week, that’s about eight per day and they’ve reached 11,967 cases. 48 cases were in Montour County (About seven per day), which now has 4,734 total cases. Snyder had 53 new cases with 8,244 total (about seven per day).
Statewide hospitalizations continue rising, with the total number now up to 1,286, which is 130 more patients hospitalized in the last week. 151 of these patients are in an ICU and 52 are on ventilators.
Locally, Geisinger Shamokin was the only area hospital with hospitalization increases, with five more patients in the last week, for eight total. Geisinger Danville has 22 total patients – that’s 10 fewer patients in the last week, with five in the ICU and one on a ventilator. Evangelical Community Hospital still has six total patients, all vaccinated, with three in the ICU.
In Valley schools, the state reported Wednesday there were 11 new cases among children ages 0-4 in the past week, and 21 cases among children ages 5-18. There were also 12 new cases in children ages 5-18 in Union County.
There were 249 new statewide deaths reported in the last week. There have been 45,147 statewide total deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The Valley has four new deaths in the past week, all in Northumberland County, now with 541 deaths since the start of the pandemic . Snyder County remains with 158 deaths, Union County remains with 154 deaths, and Montour County has had 93 deaths.
In the latest vaccine data, statewide, there have been 19.6 million doses administered, along with 3,422,652 first booster doses and 410,015 second booster doses. The state also says Montour County has 81.7% of its 18 and older population fully vaccinated, Northumberland County has 60.4%, Union has 51.6%, and Snyder has 45.1%.
The CDC’s website says 7.9 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated, and 78.5% of the 18 and older population is fully vaccinated.
According to the latest data from the Department of Human Services, the Selinsgrove Center still has fewer than five new cases among those receiving services and fewer than five new cases among staff. Danville State Hospital still has seven clients infected, along with 10 staff members.
There are no longer any cases at the Allenwood federal penitentiary campuses and there hasn’t been any cases lately at the Lewisburg federal penitentiary.
