Department of Health: Nearly 5 Million Vaccinations to Date, PA Ranks 12th in the Country for First Doses

Three-Day Total of 10,101 New Cases, 1,856 Patients Hospitalized and 366 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., March 29, there were 2,923 additional positive cases of COVID-19, in addition to 7,178 new cases reported for Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28 combined, for a three-day total of 10,101 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,015,268.

There are 1,856 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 366 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 4,500 lower than it was at the peak on December 25, 2020. The current 14-day average is also below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3, 2020. However, the moving average of number of hospitalized patients has started to increase.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of March 19 – March 25 stood at 7.6%.

The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 26, there were 33 new deaths, as of 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, there were 15 new deaths, and as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 28, there were 14 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 25,015 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine was first allocated to Pennsylvania the week of March 1, and the commonwealth is using it for a special initiative involving educators. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.

Vaccine highlights

• According to the CDC, as of Monday morning, March 29, Pennsylvania is the 12th state in the country in terms of percentage of population which has received at least one dose.
• Vaccine providers have administered 4,956,257 total vaccine doses as of Monday, March 29.
• 1,751,396 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 83,000 people per day receiving vaccinations.
• 1,572,144 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
• 3,323,540 people have received at least their first dose.

• This week, a total of 5,870,320 doses will have been allocated through April 3:
  • 369,510 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
  • 265,670 second doses will have been allocated this week.

• To date, we have administered 4,956,257 doses total through March 29:
  • First/single doses:  3,323,540 administered
  • Second doses:  1,632,714 administered

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home, even if fully vaccinated. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 127,009 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 639 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 4,116,035 individuals who have tested negative to date.

In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 69,183 resident cases of COVID-19, and 14,198 cases among employees, for a total of 83,381 at 1,575 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 12,908 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here. Note that the number of deaths reported to NEDSS is not exactly the same as the COVID-19 related deaths reported by the death registry. The number of deaths among nursing and personal care home residents and employees is taken from the PA-NEDSS death data, as this information is not available in the death registry data.

Approximately 26,348 of our total cases are among health care workers.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

• The Your Turn tool provides a way to register to be alerted when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.
• A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
• Vaccine provider map to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
• All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.
• Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
• Pennsylvanians can provide feedback on the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan by clicking on the Plan Feedback Form square under Popular Vaccine Topics here.
• Frequently asked questions can be found here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

AP Exclusive: WHO report says animals likely source of COVID
By KEN MORITSUGU and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak of the coronavirus is “extremely unlikely.” A draft copy was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The findings offer little new insight into how the virus began to spread around the globe and many questions remain unanswered, though that was as expected. But the report did provide more detail on the reasoning behind the researchers’ conclusions. The report’s release has been repeatedly delayed, raising questions about whether the Chinese side was trying to skew the conclusions. The AP received a copy from a Geneva-based diplomat from a WHO-member country.

Pennsylvania nears 1 million virus cases amid vaccine push
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Pennsylvania is nearing 1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus amid rising infections and word of a setback in the state’s accelerating COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The Department of Health reported another 4,667 new cases Wednesday for the highest single-day number since early February. That brought Pennsylvania to within a few hundred of the million-case milestone. Daily infections have risen more than 10% in two weeks, with hospitalizations beginning to drift up, too. With health officials on alert, Pennsylvania learned that it will not get nearly as many fresh doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as the federal government initially projected.

(File Photo)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) In a letter sent home to parents and posted to the Beaver Falls School District Facebook Page Superintendent Dr. Donna Nugent stated that the district was notified that a fourth grade student at the Big Beaver Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The Student was last in the building on March 19, 2021 and the district has been working to identify any students or staff that the student was in contact with. Dr. Nugent went on to state that cleaning and disinfecting of the exposed location has been completed and the student is self-isolating at home.

Dr. Nugent stated that the district strives to create a safe and healthy environment for all students and follows all CDC Protocols

Keystone State News Connection

Visits Bring Relief to Nursing Home Residents

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Families are returning to visit relatives in Pennsylvania nursing homes, bringing a year of painful isolation to an end for many seniors.

More than a year after the COVID pandemic put nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the Commonwealth in lockdown, visitors are being welcomed back.

Over the past year, more than half of COVID deaths in the state were among residents of long-term care facilities. But with most residents now having been vaccinated, the infection rate has plummeted and federal officials have recommended easing restrictions on visitation.

To Bill Johnston-Walsh – state director of AARP Pennsylvania – that’s welcome news, since isolation can cause depression, physical and mental decline among nursing-home residents.

“We believe that there’s no substitute for the person to have in-person contact,” said Johnston-Walsh, “and a warm embrace that is so critical for the physical and mental well-being of nursing home residents.”

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office is strongly encouraging all nursing home and long-term care facilities in the state to follow the federal recommendation to expand visitation.

The state says residents who are fully vaccinated can choose to have close contact with visitors, including touching. But Johnston-Walsh cautioned that precautions need to be taken to ensure that infection rates don’t start going back up.

“We have to make sure that we’re still wearing the masks,” said Johnston-Walsh, “that the visits are done in open spaces whether they be inside or outside, and to keep family members and their guests distant from other residents and staff members.”

Each facility must decide individually if it wants to expand visitation, but experts believe most will do so within the next few weeks.

Johnston-Walsh added that it appears the pandemic has reached a turning point for nursing home residents, and the efforts of state and federal officials to bring the COVID pandemic under control are paying off.

“As we enter a new phase of this pandemic with the ongoing rollout of vaccines and the growing knowledge about public health needs,” said Johnston-Walsh, “it is vital that these vulnerable seniors are able to safely visit with their loved ones.”

(Photo Courtesy of Heritage Valley Health System)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Moon Twp., Pa.) Suzanne Sakson, Director of Marketing and Communications for Heritage Valley health System  said in a press release that Saturdays have been busy at CCBC’s campus  where they  have completed 2 large COVID-19 vaccination events.   More than 1,000 vaccines were administered  to Phase 1A individuals on March 6, 2021 and March 13, 2021.   The release stated that  these large  volume vaccination clinics  represent just part  of the health system’s  community vaccination effort  as weekday clinics are held in Robinson Township  at the  former Heritage Valley location next to Staples, as well  as the CCBC Dome.

IRS will delay tax filing due date until May 17
By SARAH SKIDMORE SELL AP Business Writer
The IRS will delay the traditional April 15 tax filing due date until May 17 to cope with added duties and provide Americans more flexibility. The IRS announced the decision Wednesday and said it would provide further guidance in coming days. The move provides more breathing room for taxpayers and the IRS alike to cope with changes brought on by the pandemic. The decision postpones when individual taxpayers must file their return and when their payment is due. The IRS said taxpayers who owe money would not face any further penalties or interest if they pay by May

17.

Restaurants, bars to see some pandemic limits lift in April
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf will expand more business and event capacity limits and lift coronavirus restrictions on bar service starting on Easter Sunday. Monday’s announcement says bars and restaurants can raise indoor capacity limits to a maximum of 75% from 50%, but must follow the state’s social-distancing requirements. Going away are a ban on seating at the bar and serving alcohol after 11 p.m., as well as a requirement that patrons order food with their alcoholic drinks. Other businesses can also move to 75% of maximum capacity, including salons, gyms, casinos and theaters. Outdoor events can go to 50% of maximum capacity, while indoor gatherings can go to 20%.

As school workers get vaccine, Wolf puts police, others next
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s police officers, firefighters and grocery workers are in line to start getting the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in about two weeks, as the current effort to immunize school workers wraps up. Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday he’s confident the state will meet President Joe Biden’s directive to make everyone eligible by May 1. The group getting special priority after teachers includes police and prison staff, grocery workers, volunteer and professional firefighters, meat processors and farm workers. Pennsylvania’s program to vaccinate teachers and other school workers immunized more than 6,500 people in its first days.

(Robinson Twp.,Pa.) AHN and DICK’S Sporting Goods are partnering to have another vaccination clinic today, Friday, march 12, 2021
Approximately 6,000 area residents who fall into the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Phase 1A vaccination eligibility will receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from AHN caregivers at the DICK’S Sporting Goods’ corporate office in Coraopolis today. The clinic is open only to those who have pre-registered for the vaccine, and all appointments have been filled. No walk-ins will be accepted. The Clinic will be held from 8 am to 5 pm.