Several Counties Of Pennsylvania Now Considered “High Transmission” Spots For COVID-19

The pandemic continues to ravage The United States, as the new infectious Delta variant has led to outbreaks in multiple states. Pennsylvania is one of the latest states to join the list, with the Western region highly affected. According to the CDC, the area is now considered a COVID-10 hot spot, based on the transmission rates. In the 8 to 14 August period, the most impacted counties are Jefferson, Lawrence, Armstrong, Beaver, Washington, Allegheny and Green. Moreover, before the states mentioned above, there are counties with 50 to 100 COVID-19 cases for every 100,000 persons, which meant that there is a substantial level of transmission.

The number of partial vaccines administered in Pennsylvania is currently at 6,063,968, while there are 5.818,722 complete vaccinations administered. The rate of vaccination has also decreased in the past months, leading authorities to believe this is one of the factors that favored new outbreaks.

Recently the university system of Pennsylvania has debated possible requirements for vaccinations. According to university leaders, a legislation change would be needed in order to make vaccines mandatory. Many agree that vaccinations represent the best solution to put an end to viral transmissions.

Millersville University is one of the colleges in the areas where there is a substantial level of risk for COVID-19. The university president wishes to make vaccines a requirement for students, although he cannot do that legally yet. “As a microbiologist, I think that is one of the safest ways to prevent the spread of the pathogen in any community,” he explained.

Given the recent surges in COVID cases, Philadelphia has installed once again COVID-19 restrictions, including curfews and mandatory masks indoors, regardless of the vaccination status. Moreover, certain events such as concerts now require proof of vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests in order to allow entry.