New COVID-19 cases continued to surge across Pennsylvania on Wednesday as the commonwealth set a single-day record for the second consecutive day and Centre County recorded its third largest increase of the pandemic.
Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations also surpassed 6,000 for the first time in more than a year, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data.
Centre County reported one new COVID-19 death and 293 more cases of the virus to bring its total to 27,230 (24,573 confirmed and 2,657 probable).
The death is Centre County’s 293rd attributed to the virus since the start of the pandemic and fourth reported in 2022. The county has averaged one COVID-19 death per day over the last month.
The county’s new cases trail only the 319 reported on Saturday and 302 on Dec. 11, 2020 for largest daily increases. Four of the county’s five largest single-day case increases of the pandemic have occurred in the last two weeks.
Pennsylvania added 28,018 COVID-19 positives to increase the statewide total to 2,147,482. It’s the fifth time in the last week the commonwealth has set a record for new cases. The eight highest daily increases of the pandemic have occurred in the last eight days.
With 143 new COVID-19 deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, Pennsylvania’s total is now 37,111.
Hospitalizations
Mount Nittany Medical Center is treating 46 COVID-positive inpatients, two fewer than on Tuesday, with three in intensive care [-1] and two on ventilators [+1].
The patients range in age from 25 to 90, according to Mount Nittany’s COVID-19 inpatient dashboard. Fourteen are fully vaccinated and 32 are not vaccinated.
Pennsylvania has 6,187 COVID-19 inpatients, 211 more than on Tuesday, with 1,029 in intensive care [-5] and 631 on ventilators [+10]. Statewide hospitalizations increased for the 10th consecutive day and are at their highest level since Dec. 17, 2020. Wednesday’s hospitalization total is the fourth largest of the pandemic and 159 fewer than the record set on Dec. 16, 2020.
Prison cases
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Benner state prison has one active COVID-19 case among inmates, two fewer than were listed on Tuesday, and 22 among staff [+4].
Rockview state prison has four active inmate cases [+1] and 31 among staff [+20].
Both facilities are in Benner Township.
At Benner, 1,505 inmates are fully vaccinated, seven are partially vaccinated and 189 are not vaccinated. Among staff, 306 are fully vaccinated [+3] and 322 [-3] are not vaccinated.
Rockview has 1,689 inmates who are fully vaccinated, one who is partially vaccinated and 61 who are not vaccinated. Among staff, 340 are fully vaccinated and 377 are not vaccinated.
Transmission level
All 67 counties in Pennsylvania are at the highest level for community transmission of COVID-19 on the Centers for Disease Control scale, according to the latest county-level data update.
Transmission levels are based on positivity rate and cases per 100,000 people for the previous seven days. At the substantial and high levels, CDC guidance recommends all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public indoor settings.
Vaccinations
As of Wednesday morning, 91,347 people in Centre County are fully vaccinated, an increase of 72 since Tuesday, and 12,972 are partially covered [+101]. Booster doses have been administered to 37,235 county residents [+306].
Among the county’s entire population, 66.3% have received at least one dose and 57.1% are fully vaccinated, according to the most recent CDC data update. Among adult residents, 71.6% have received at least one dose and 61.6% are fully vaccinated.
Statewide, 74.3% of adults and 64.1% of the total population are fully vaccinated.
Vaccination appointments through Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Mount Nittany Health and through other pharmacies and providers listed at vaccines.gov.
All individuals age 16 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.
Centre County’s cases by zip code:
*Note: Changes are in brackets. Specific numbers for zip codes with 1-4 cases are redacted by the health department. Cases are not always immediately assigned zip codes.
16801 (State College): 7,429 confirmed [+49], 719 probable [+23]
16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 4,737 confirmed [+33], 437 probable [+12]
16803 (State College): 2425 confirmed [+48], 389 probable [+10]
16802 (University Park): 1,681 confirmed [+2], 98 probable
16866 (Philipsburg): 1,530 confirmed [+15], 251 probable [+5]
16870 (Port Matilda): 947 confirmed [+19], 129 probable [+7]
16841 (Howard): 826 confirmed [+12], 86 probable [-1]
16828 (Centre Hall): 587 confirmed [+7], 60 probable [+3]
16827 (Boalsburg): 545 confirmed [+10], 77 probable [+3]
16875 (Spring Mills): 532 confirmed [+2], 64 probable [+2]
16844 (Julian): 441 confirmed [+10], 47 probable
16845 (Karthaus): 406 confirmed [+1], 30 probable
16853 (Milesburg): 227 confirmed [+2], 12 probable
16874 (Snow Shoe): 222 confirmed, 32 probable [+1]
16877 (Warrior’s Mark): 219 confirmed [+1], 27 probable [+1]
16826 (Blanchard): 190 confirmed [+3], 13 probable
16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 160 confirmed [+4], 15 probable [+1]
16854 (Millheim): 141 confirmed [+2], 13 probable
16820 (Aaronsburg): 138 confirmed [+1], 25 probable
16829 (Clarence): 133 confirmed, 26 probable
16872 (Rebersburg): 117 confirmed [+1], 13 probable
16851 (Lemont): 114 confirmed [+2], 21 probable
16859 (Moshannon): 79 confirmed [+2], 5 probable
16832 (Coburn): 66 confirmed [+1], 5 probable
16868 (Pine Grove Mills): 61 confirmed [+2], 7 probable
16677 (Sandy Ridge): 57 confirmed [+1], 1-4 probable
16835 (Fleming): 47 confirmed [+1], 8 probable
16856 (Mingoville): 42 confirmed, 9 probable
16852 (Madisonburg): 36 confirmed, 5 probable
16882 (Woodward): 31 confirmed [+1], 1-4 confirmed
16804 (State College): 17 confirmed
16863 (Orviston): 15 confirmed
16805 (State College): 1-4 confirmed
Cases among Centre County’s bordering counties
Blair: 23,425 [+108]
Clearfield: 14,806 [+86]
Mifflin: 9,414 [+58]
Union: 9,166 [+53]
Huntingdon: 8,681 [+62]
Clinton: 6,968 [+44]
