DOH Weekly Update: COVID-19 case rates increase, hospitalization rates drop for Cumberland County

The Sentinel - 9/15/2022

Sep. 14—Cumberland County COVID-19 case rates showed increases and its hospitalization rates dropped for the week in the latest data updates Wednesday.

The county's 14-day rate for hospitalizations sat at 13.5 Wednesday according to the state Department of Health, down from 15.4 on Sept. 7 and 16.5 on Aug. 31. The county saw six straight days with at least one COVID patient in the ICU this week. It also had one COVID-related death, giving it three for September.

The county had seven-day case rate averages in the 50s at the end of July through the beginning of August, when it started to decline. The seven-day case rate sat at 44 Wednesday, the second straight week for an increase after 42 on Sept. 5 and 39 on Aug. 29.

Cumberland County moved into the medium level of community spread according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data as of Sept. 8, the first time the county has been out of the low level since the end of July.

The CDC updates its community levels data every Thursday afternoon. It uses new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population (7-day total), new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and percent of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (7-day average) to determine its community spread levels of high, medium and low.

Last Thursday's update shows 8 counties in the state in the high level for COVID community levels as of Sept. 8, down three from the previous week. Huntingdon and Mifflin counties are in the high category for the southcentral region, with Cumberland, Juniata, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford and Blair counties in the medium level (four more counties than the previous week). The state has 38 counties in the medium level, two more than the previous week.

County data

The Health Department reported 308 cases and one death for Cumberland County in the past seven days, 24 more cases than the previous week. The county's seven-day average for case counts increased to 44, up from 42 on Sept. 7.

The southcentral region totaled 20 deaths in the past week (seven in Franklin County).

There were 16 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cumberland County in Wednesday's update, the same total as last week.

There was one adult in intensive care and no one a ventilator Wednesday. Sixteen adult ICU beds remain open of the 68 currently staffed across the county, and 17 of 72 ventilators in the county are in use.

Franklin County's hospitalizations increased by seven to 16 patients Wednesday, with 18 of its 34 currently staffed ICU beds available. There are two adults in the ICU and no one on a ventilator.

Dauphin County's hospitalizations decreased by three this week to 37 patients Wednesday, with 22 of its 166 currently staffed ICU beds available. There are six adults in the ICU and four on ventilators.

Vaccine update (Sept. 14)

In data updated Tuesday evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 72.6% of Cumberland County's population is fully vaccinated. The CDC also reported that 76.5% of the population 5 and older is vaccinated, and 79.9% of the population 12 and older is fully vaccinated.

The CDC also reported that 45.5% of the county's fully vaccinated population has received a booster vaccine.

Early Warning Dashboard update (Sept. 14)

Cumberland County showed increases in its COVID-19 percent positivity and its incidence rate per 100,000 people in the Health Department's weekly update to its Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.

The county's percent positivity increased to 23% for the week of Sept. 7-13, up from 22.3% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people increased to 88.8, up from 78.1 the previous week, 74.6 two weeks ago, 75.8 three weeks ago.

Mifflin County has the highest incidence rate in the Midstate at 192.2, with Bradford topping the state at 240.4. Cumberland County has the highest percent positivity rate in the Midstate at 23%, with Warren County topping the state at 35.8%.

County numbers in the southcentral region (updated Sept. 14 — weekly totals):

— Adams County (pop. 103,009): 185 new cases; 28,510 total cases (23,937 confirmed, 4,573 probable); 392 deaths (+2); 57.1% of county population vaccinated

— Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 62 new cases; 12,071 total cases (8,075 confirmed, 3,996 probable); 282 deaths; 39.7% of county population vaccinated

— Blair County (pop. 121,829): 214 new cases; 32,874 total cases (26,262 confirmed, 6,612 probable); 644 deaths; 54.3% of county population vaccinated

— Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 310 new cases; 57,979 total cases (43,862 confirmed, 14,117 probable); 925 deaths (+2); 72.6% of county population vaccinated

— Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 297 new cases; 66,788 total cases (55,216 confirmed, 11,572 probable); 1,009 deaths (+2); 65.6% of county population vaccinated

— Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 293 new cases; 46,145 total cases (38,630 confirmed, 7,515 probable); 738 deaths (+7); 51% of county population vaccinated

— Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 37 new cases; 4,643 total cases (2,471 confirmed, 2,172 probable); 68 deaths (+2); 36.9% of county population vaccinated

— Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 77 new cases; 12,787 total cases (10,662 confirmed, 2,125 probable); 260 deaths; 52.4% of county population vaccinated

— Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 41 new cases; 5,313 total cases (4,878 confirmed, 435 probable); 185 deaths (+2); 41.7% of county population vaccinated

— Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 209 new cases; 41,256 total cases (35,567 confirmed, 5,689 probable); 535 deaths (+1); 57.9% of county population vaccinated

— Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 104 new cases; 13,732 total cases (13,040 confirmed, 692 probable); 286 deaths; 51.1% of county population vaccinated

— Perry County (pop. 46,272): 40 new cases; 9,684 total cases (7,493 confirmed, 2,191 probable); 191 deaths; 50.4% of county population vaccinated

— York County (pop. 449,058): 798 new cases; 134,827 total cases (112,369 confirmed; 22,458 probable); 1,565 deaths (+2); 60.8% of county population vaccinated

COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard (Sept. 7-Sept. 13):

(Counties with a percent positivity above 5% in a week go on the Department of Health's watch list)

— Pennsylvania:

— Percent Positivity — 15.7% last 7 days (16.2% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 97.4 (101.9 previous 7 days)

— Adams County:

— Percent Positivity — 15.8% last 7 days (17.5% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 141.7 (139.8 previous 7 days)

— Cumberland County:

— Percent Positivity — 23% last 7 days (22.3% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 88.8 (78.1 previous 7 days)

— Dauphin County: