HARRISBURG, Pa. – New coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania have dropped by nearly a quarter over the past three weeks.
State health officials say there were 21,800 new infections reported in the past seven days. That’s down from just over 25,000 new cases during the previous week, and more than 28,000 cases the week before that.
It’s the first time the state is seeing a significant drop in new cases since before the delta variant of the virus began to surge in the early summer.
Hospitalizations also dropped slightly over the past two weeks. Experts have said it typically takes hospitalization numbers longer to drop after case numbers begin dropping.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 4,496 additional positive cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the statewide total to 1,530,309.
2,929 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 668 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, according to a news release Friday from the state health department.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of Oct. 8 – Oct. 14 stood at 9.7%.
The state reported 88 more deaths Friday, for a total of 30,903 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
5,654,885 people have tested negative to date.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there have been a total of 78,677 resident cases of COVID-19 to date, and 17,088 cases among employees, for a total of 95,765 at 1,642 facilities in all 67 counties, according to the state’s health department.
Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 14,291 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found on the health department’s website.
Approximately 32,175 of total cases have been among health care workers.
According to the CDC, as of Thursday, Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total vaccine doses administered. As of Thursday, 71.1% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated, the CDC says.
All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. People can use Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider.