Local hospitals see COVID-19 uptick; state hospitalizations fall

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

May 27—Although COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to drop statewide, the local region has seen a small increase this week in the number of virus patients being treated at hospitals.

There were 1,172 inpatients in Pennsylvania being treated for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the Department of Health update showed, including 296 in intensive care units and 177 on ventilators or breathing machines. That's down from 1,353 hospitalizations last week and 1,712 two weeks ago.

Across Cambria, Blair, Somerset and Bedford counties on Wednesday, there were 54 inpatients, with seven in ICUs and eight on ventilators. Last week, there were 50 inpatients in the local four-county area.

Wednesday's figures are still well below the spring peak in late April, when there were 90 hospitalizations in the four counties.

New cases continue to flatten, with 1,127 additional positive cases in Wednesday's report. Cambria County added 16 cases, Somerset added 14, Bedford added five, Blair added 14, Indiana added 18, Clearfield added 14, Centre added eight and Westmoreland added 34 new COVID-19 cases.

Two additional deaths in Westmoreland County and one death each in Cambria, Somerset, Blair, Centre and Indiana counties were among 38 new deaths statewide, bringing the state's totals to 1,198,595 cases and 27,123 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Vaccine providers have administered 10,321,111 total vaccine doses, and there are 4,552,126 people now fully vaccinated. Another 1,595,245 are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.