Press release, public health
Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Control System Dashboard, comparing the seven-day period from August 7 to August 13 with the previous seven days, July 31 – August 6, along with data on cases that visited a company under potential exposures, and age-specific data for 19-24-year-olds.
The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors affecting the state of mitigation. The data available on the dashboard include differences of week-over-week, incident rates, test percentage positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations, and visits of the ambulance room bound to COVID-19.
“Our percentage positivity decreased for the third week in a row, which is a testament to prevention testing, and that testing is widely available throughout the state,” Goad Wolf said. “However, with increased testing comes increased case counts. The virus is still circulating, and we need to continue wearing masks, practicing social distance and avoiding large gatherings to keep our numbers low, stop the spread and allow more freedom. ”
As of Thursday, August 13, the state has seen a seven-day increase of 5,530, the previous seven-day increase was 5,030, indicating an increase of 500 cases across the state in the past week.
Statewide percentage positivity dropped to 4.0% from 4.1% last week. Counties with a percentage rating include Fayette (10.4%), Armstrong (8.9%), Cameron (8.7%), Huntingdon (7.1%), Dauphin (6.5%), Northumberland (6.4%), Mercer (6.3%), Erie (5 , 9%), Crawford (5.8%), Forst (5.8%), York (5.6%), Indiana (5.5%), Franklin (5.4%), Lawrence (5.3 %), and Berks (5.0%). Each of these counties seeks as the state continues to oversee all available data.
The Department of Public Health now provides data on the number of individuals who respond to business researchers who spend time at business establishments (restaurants, bars, gym / fitness center, salon / barbershop) and at mass meetings 14 days before the onset of symptoms.
Of the 24,468 positive cases reported between July 13 and August 11, less than half of individuals provided an answer to the question of whether they spent time at a business establishment. Of those who answered, 13 percent answered, if 1,499 yes, they visited a business 14 days before the onset of symptoms:
- 47 percent of those who said yes report to a restaurant;
- 24 percent of those who said yes report to a bar;
- 19 percent of those who said yes report going to another business area;
- 10 percent of those who said yes report to a gym / fitness center; en
- 9 percent of those who said yes reported to a salon / barbershop.
Of the 24,468 cases, 52 percent answered the question of whether they were attending a mass gathering or another major event. Of the 52 percent, nearly 12 percent (1,648) answered yes to the question of whether they attended a mass meeting or another major event 14 days before the onset of symptoms.
Notes from the case researcher often included mentions of visits to bars and restaurants under positive case. To better understand this emerging trend, on July 13, contact persons began asking more specific questions about types of businesses that were sought to be questioned and if individuals attended a mass meeting, defined as more than 250 people in the suburbs or more than 25 indoors .
The numbers above mark business institutions and mass meetings as possible sites for transmission. With about half of the people asked about what types of businesses they visited or when they attended a mass rally to answer the question, the department reminds Pennsylvanians that it is essential that people answer the phone when call investigators and provide complete and complete information to these clinical professionals.
Also today, the Department of Public Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, to remove Nebraska, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin from the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from 14 days to quarantine at return to Pennsylvania.
It is important that people understand that this recommendation is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that is quarantine.
In addition, the department looked at the percentage change in cases among 19-24 year olds from April to 14 July, compared to April to 14 August after the last recent mitigation attempts were in place:
- The percentage of cases among 19-24-year-olds in the SW is down by 12 percent (24 percent from July 14 to 12 percent as of August 14);
- The percentage of cases among 19- to 24-year-olds in the NC is down five percent (14 percent from July 14 to 8 percent as of August 14);
- The percentage of cases among 19- to 24-year-olds in the NW is down three percent (12 percent from July 14 to 9 percent as of August 14);
- The percentage of cases among 19- to 24-year-olds in the SC is one percent down (13 percent from July 14 to 12 percent as of August 14);
- The percentage of cases among 19-24 year olds in the SE remained the same (17 percent from July 14 to 17 percent as of August 14); en
- The percentage of cases among 19- to 24-year-olds in the NE remained the same (17 percent from July 14 to 17 percent as of August 14).
Declines in this age group, where we saw significant business increases prior to July 15 mitigation attempts, indicate that the actions are working, but should continue to see further declines across the state.
Gov. Wolf continues to prioritize the health and safety of all Pennsylvania residents through the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvanians must continue to take action to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regardless of the province in which they live. This includes wearing a mask or covering a face when they are in public. COVID-19 has been shown to be easily dispersed in the air and infectious carriers can be asymptomatic.
