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Pennsylvania coronavirus update: Northampton County at highest transmission level, Lehigh now ‘substantial’

Morning Call - 8/3/2021

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,442 additional coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest single-day total since late May. The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 1,043, up 69% from a week ago, and more than five times the rate it was a month ago.

To date, there have been 1.23 million infections statewide.

The surge in additional cases was enough to move Northampton County from a designation of “substantial” community transmission to “high,” the top designation given by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Northampton’s rate of 101.9 cases per week for every 100,000 residents puts it just over the 100 weekly population-adjusted case rate threshold, and keeps it as having the highest rate in Pennsylvania for the second day. It is the only county in the highest community transmission level as of Tuesday.

Lehigh County’s 56.9 weekly rate bumps it from “moderate” to “substantial, ” and places it 21st of the 67 counties. There are 28 Pennsylvania counties in that designation, including, Monroe, Pike, Philadelphia and all of its adjoining counties. Berks, Carbon and Schuylkill are among the 37 counties that are considered “moderate.” Only Tioga County’s 9.85 weekly population-adjusted case rate falls into the “low” transmission level range.

The Lehigh Valley and all of southeastern Pennsylvania are advised to resume mitigation measures, including masking indoors, whether vaccinated or not. Recent data indicates that the delta coronavirus variant — which is responsible for more than 80% of new infections — induces a viral load more than 1,200 times higher than the original “wild” strain of the virus. That is one of the reasons the variant is as contagious as chickenpox, even for those who are vaccinated. Only a fraction of a percent of those who are vaccinated will get a case of COVID serious enough to require hospitalization.

Virtually all hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths are occurring in unvaccinated people.

The Health Department announced a temporary testing site at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville that will be open starting Tuesday and continuing through Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site, available for walk-up and drive-through customers, is in parking lot L next to Berrier Hall.

Another testing site will be kept open at Easton’s Paxinosa Elementary School on Northampton St. through Aug. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both sites are open without appointment for anyone who feels they need one, whether or not they have symptoms.

Deaths

Overall: 11 compared with seven on Monday. The seven-day moving average of deaths per day is 5.3, compared with 3.7 a week ago.

Senior Care: Two deaths reported Tuesday from weekly surveys, bringing the total to 13,414, accounting for 48.1% of the state’s 27,868 deaths.

Vaccinations

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show:

There are 6.73 million fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania, accounting for 53% of the population. An additional 1.7 million people are in need of their follow-up shot. In total, 14.63 million shots have been put into 8.43 million arms, or 66% of the state’s residents.

Included in those totals are 370,292 Lehigh Valley residents who are fully vaccinated, accounting for 54.9% of the local population. In total, 472,074 locals have received 746,387 shots in the arm, accounting for 70.0% of the Valley’s population.

Hospitalizations

There were 563 people hospitalized as of midday Tuesday compared with 507 Monday. Of those, 110 were in intensive care, and 61 were on ventilators. Hospitalizations have increased 27% in the last week, and are up 56% in the last 30 days.

Hospitals in the Lehigh Valley reported 37 COVID-19 patients Tuesday compared with 33 Monday, including nine in intensive care, and three on ventilators.

Testing

There were 7,545 test results reported Tuesday, with 15.4% of them positive, compared with 12.8% on Monday.

The overall positive test rate is 17.3% since the state’s first cases were reported March 6 of last year.

Lehigh Valley

Cases: 123 additional case reports, with 47 in Lehigh County, 76 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 76,914.

Deaths: Two new deaths, in Lehigh County, compared with one the day before. That brings the total to 1,590 (870 in Lehigh, and 720 in Northampton).

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