All but three PA counties are in the red for COVID-19 spread, latest CDC data show
All but three counties in Pennsylvania are in the deep red for high COVID-19 transmission, the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
On Thursday, Centre County moved back into the “high” zone on the CDC’s COVID-19 community level scale, a different measure than transmission.
Centre County had been in the “low” level on that scale since mid-March, but cases had been rising in local schools and the development on Thursday spurred the State College Area School District to pivot back to mandatory masking indoors. The change is effective Tuesday.
Penn State also announced Wednesday it would require indoor masking on its campuses in counties with high community levels.
Zooming out to the state overview where Pennsylvania stands, only three counties are out of the red zone when it comes to high levels of COVID-19 transmission.
Those counties include Juniata, Greene and Forest counties, where transmission is still classified as “substantial,” according to the CDC. No Pennsylvania county has moderate or low COVID-19 transmission currently.
In addition, 28 Pennsylvania counties were classified as “high” under the CDC’s community level scale – again, a separate metric from transmission levels.
In counties scored at high COVID-19 community levels, the federal health agency recommends universal masking in indoor, public places.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health released its weekly update on the state of COVID-19 in the commonwealth, reporting 29,277 new cases over the course of the last week, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
COVID TRANSMISSION LEVELS BY COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA
The CDC tracks local COVID-19 transmission levels using two indicators:
The total number of new cases per 100,000 people within the last seven days
Percentage of positive diagnostic and screening nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) during the previous seven days.
So what’s driving the uptick in cases in Pennsylvania? Even more infectious mutated strains of the omicron variant. That includes a new omicron sub-variant detected in the state, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previously reported.
COVID COMMUNITY LEVELS BY COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA
This separate metric uses three indicators to define community levels of COVID-19:
New COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the last seven days
The percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID-19, using a 7-day average
Masking and other health recommendations for individuals are as follows under the community levels:
Low: Stay up to date on vaccinations and boosters, get tested if you have symptoms.
Medium: If you are considered high risk, consider masking in public, stay up to date on vaccinations and boosters, get tested if you have symptoms.
High: Wear a mask in indoor, public places, stay up to date on vaccinations and boosters, get tested if you have symptoms, take extra precautions around high-risk individuals.
Of course, you can also wear masks at any time, regardless of their county’s community level. People with COVID-19 symptoms, those who have tested positive or have been exposed, should mask in public at all times.
You can find additional data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health online.
