COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Declining In Pennsylvania But Health Officials Urge Caution
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Pennsylvania are declining, but health officials are warning it's too early to let down our guard.
The state averaged 15,294 new cases a day from Jan. 17-23, down about 10,000 from last week. The number of people hospitalized also dropped by 12.8%.
"Although we are seeing a slight decrease in the seven-day moving average of COVID-19 cases, it is much too early to let down our guard," Acting Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter said in a news release.
"What we have seen during previous surges is that hospitalizations remain high for a couple of weeks after case counts start to decline. That means that our frontline healthcare workers need our continued support and a commitment to get vaccinated, get boosted, wear masks in public indoor spaces regardless of vaccination status and get tested when appropriate," Klinepeter said.
The Allegheny County Health Department reported 11,821 infections from Jan. 16-22, and 72 people also died during that time.
A little over 75% of Pennsylvanian adults are fully vaccinated.