New COVID-19 deaths in all of region's counties, local area cases surpass spring surge

Randy Griffith, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Sep. 21—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Every county in the region added at least one COVID-19 death over the weekend, with most reporting new cases in the triple digits.

Pennsylvania added 12,686 new positives and 52 deaths since Friday, bringing the totals to 1,382,933 cases and 28,864 deaths attributed to COVID-19, the Department of Health's Monday update showed.

Westmoreland County added six deaths, Somerset County added two deaths and Cambria, Bedford, Blair, Indiana, Clearfield and Centre counties each recorded one additional death.

Westmoreland also led the region with 500 new cases of COVID-19 in Monday's report. Cambria added 180 cases, Centre added 165, Somerset added 143, Blair added 132, Bedford had 126, Indiana had 116 and Clearfield added 92 new cases.

The latest report shows the surge has been more severe in the local area than the statewide average. Monday's update puts the state's rolling seven-day average at 4,602 cases a day.

While that is the highest average since April 19 at the peak of the spring surge, the averages in Cambria, Somerset, Bedford and Blair counties have already surpassed the spring peak. All four counties are showing average daily cases not seen since January, as the pandemic's deadly winter surge was easing.

Cambria has had an average of 67 cases a day over the past week. Its spring peak was an average of 57 cases a day on April 24.

Somerset is averaging 47 cases a day. It averaged 25 cases a day at the spring peak.

Bedford is averaging 40 cases a day. It averaged 18 cases a day at the spring peak.

Blair is averaging 46 cases a day. It averaged 58 cases a day at the spring peak.

In a press release Monday, the health department said there are more than 11 times as many COVID-19 cases among school-aged children 5-18 years old this year when compared to last year.

For Sept. 8-14, there were 7,218, compared to 630 cases for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, combining Monday updates from the state and Philadelphia health departments shows vaccine providers have administered 14,581,704 doses and there are now 7,068,573 people who are fully vaccinated statewide.