Associated Press
HARRISBURG – Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to rise amid the recent surge across Pennsylvania. In its daily update Thursday, the state Department of Health reported there are 2,127 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 435 patients are in an intensive care unit and 209 are on ventilators. Locally- Evangelical Community Hospital has two new patients; 15 total COVID-19 patients, with two in the ICU, and none on a ventilator. Geisinger Danville has 31 total patients, 10 of whom are in ICU, and four are on ventilators. Geisinger Shamokin has one new patient, with three total patients, one in the ICU, and none on ventilators.
3,893 additional positive cases of COVID-19 were also reported in Thursday’s update, bringing the total to 1,028,750 cases since the start of the pandemic. Most of those people, 91%, have recovered, according to the state.
There were 33 new Valley cases – In Northumberland County, there are 19 more cases, for a total of 8,576 cases, and 335 deaths, since the start of the pandemic. Union County has seven new cases at 5,418 cases since the start of the pandemic and 85 deaths.
Snyder County has four new cases at 3,291 total and 82 deaths, and Montour County has three new cases, 1,840 since the beginning of the pandemic, and 60 deaths. The department says there were 27 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry over the last three days, reported for a total of 25,120 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
The local vaccine dose count was also updated Wednesday, reporting another 1,573 local residents have received at least one shot lately. That includes 695 in Northumberland County. Now 41,681 have at least one shot (17,326 have two shots, 24,325 have one shot). In Snyder County, 14,100 have at least one shot, that represents an increase of 283 people from the day before (5,466 have two shots, 8,634 have two).
Union County has 451 more residents with at least one shot of the vaccine (17,200 total [6,478 both, 10,722 one shot). Montour County has 144 new residents with a shot, 14,455 have at least one now (6,478 have two, 7,977 have just one).
There were slight changes at Valley universities Wednesday: At Bucknell University, there are 12 active cases – eight among students and four among faculty and staff. 357 have been active since the spring semester began and only18% of its isolation space is in use. At Susquehanna University, there are four active cases – three among students and one amoung faculty and staff.
