The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 11,628 new COVID-19 cases statewide on Friday, marking the commonwealth’s fifth highest single-day increase throughout the 21 months of the pandemic.
Centre County accounted for 98 of the new cases.
Pennsylvania’s largest single-day increase was on Dec. 5, 2020, when DOH reported 12,884 new cases.
Centre County’s new positives bring the local total to 23,732 (21,382 confirmed and 2,350 probable). The county also had 69 new negative test results to bring its total to 85,200.
Statewide, the new cases increase the total to 1,818,299. There were 9,050 new negatives across the commonwealth for a total of 5,963,157.
Deaths
DOH reported no new deaths attributed to the virus among Centre County residents, keeping the total at 267.
With 144 new COVID-19 deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, the statewide total is now 34,415.
Hospitalizations
Mount Nittany Medical Center has 65 COVID-positive inpatients, four more than on Thursday, with eight in intensive care [-1] and eight on ventilators [+1].
The patients range in age from 21 to 95, according to Mount Nittany’s COVID-19 inpatient dashboard. Eighteen are fully vaccinated and 47 are not vaccinated.
Mount Nittany has had 87 COVID-19 inpatients in December with an average daily census of 57, the highest daily average throughout the entire pandemic. High numbers of emergency department visits are making for long wait times and hospital officials said on Friday overall patient levels are at record highs.
“Mount Nittany Medical Center continues to make operational adjustments across the health system to meet the demand for care as a result of the ongoing community transmission of COVID-19,” Dr. Upendra Thaker, chief medical officer, said in a statement. “We are reallocating staff and facility resources so we can care for our community members without sacrificing quality of care. These procedural plans are helping to ease some of the strain we felt as recently as a week ago, but intensive care physicians and staff are experiencing no relief. We will continue to make operational adjustments as needed to provide quality care.”
Because of the strain, all elective surgeries requiring overnight admission are postponed through at least Dec. 20 Beginning Saturday, visitations will be modified to allow one designated visitor per patient between 2-6 p.m. daily.
“This situation will not begin to improve until community transmission of the virus falls,” Thaker said. “We are doing everything we can do. We continue to ask that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated, avoid large indoor gatherings, social distance and hand wash.”
Pennsylvania has 4,502 COVID-19 inpatients, 98 more than on Thursday, with 940 in intensive care [+17] and 560 on ventilators [+19], according to the DOH hospital preparedness dashboard. Statewide hospitalizations are at their highest level since Jan. 21.
An estimated 90% of COVID-19 patients in the state have recovered, according to a DOH calculation that considers a case as recovered if it has not been reported as a death and it is more than 30 days past the date of the first positive test or onset of symptoms.
Prison cases
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Benner state prison has 26 active COVID-19 cases among inmates, two fewer than on Thursday, and 28 among staff.
Rockview state prison has four active inmate cases and 21among staff [-2]
Both facilities are in Benner Township.
At Benner, 1,557 inmates are fully vaccinated, nine are partially vaccinated and 196 are not vaccinated. Among staff, 283 are fully vaccinated and 345 are not vaccinated.
Rockview has 1,678 inmates who are fully vaccinated and 62 who are not vaccinated. Among staff, 334 are fully vaccinated and 383 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 Friday morning, 89,404 people in Centre County are fully vaccinated, an increase of 72 since Thursday, and 10,771 are partially covered [+149]. Booster doses have been administered to 27,532 county residents [+597].
Among the county’s entire population, 69.9% have received at least one dose and 54.3% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among adult residents, 76.1% have received at least one dose and 59% are fully vaccinated.
Statewide, 69.8% of adults and 59.6% 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): 6,710 confirmed [+4], 615 probable [+5]
16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 4,153 confirmed [+27], 390 probable
16803 (State College): 1,961 confirmed [+4], 302 probable
16802 (University Park): 1,627 confirmed [+2], 97 probable [+1]
16866 (Philipsburg): 1,363 confirmed [+20], 229 probable
16870 (Port Matilda): 781 confirmed [+2], 113 probable
16841 (Howard): 732 confirmed [+5], 85 probable [-2]
16875 (Spring Mills): 505 confirmed [+1], 60 probable
16828 (Centre Hall): 504 confirmed [+2], 55 probable
16827 (Boalsburg): 455 confirmed [+4], 67 probable
16844 (Julian): 372 confirmed [+3], 47 probable
16845 (Karthaus): 372 confirmed [+1], 27 probable
16853 (Milesburg): 203 confirmed [+1], 12 probable
16877 (Warrior’s Mark): 201 confirmed, 23 probable
16874 (Snow Shoe): 179 confirmed [+1], 31 probable
16826 (Blanchard): 166 confirmed [+1], 14 probable
16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 131 confirmed, 12 probable
16820 (Aaronsburg): 129 confirmed [+1], 25 probable
16854 (Millheim): 129 confirmed [+2], 13 probable
16829 (Clarence): 122 confirmed, 24 probable
16872 (Rebersburg): 107 confirmed, 12 probable
16851 (Lemont): 91 confirmed [+2], 20 probable
16859 (Moshannon): 64 confirmed, 5 probable
16832 (Coburn): 63 confirmed, 5 probable
16677 (Sandy Ridge): 50 confirmed, 1-4 probable
16868 (Pine Grove Mills): 43 confirmed, 7 probable
16856 (Mingoville): 37 confirmed, 9 probable
16835 (Fleming): 36 confirmed, 8 probable
16852 (Madisonburg): 35 confirmed, 5 probable
16882 (Woodward): 21 confirmed, 1-4 confirmed
16863 (Orviston): 14 confirmed
16804 (State College): 13 confirmed
Cases among Centre County’s bordering counties
Blair: 21,661 [+117]
Clearfield: 13,421 [+125]
Mifflin: 8,575 [+53]
Union: 8,439 [+44]
Huntingdon: 7,932 [+45]
Clinton: 6,327 [+38]
