The Allegheny County Health Department Covid-19 Updates

Pittsburgh PA

23 December, 2020

5:08 PM

Description

Public Source By PublicSource reporters December 22, 2020 The Allegheny County Health Department [ACHD] confirmed 797 new COVID-19 cases and 10 new deaths reported in the past 24 hours. The new caseload, announced Tuesday, comes from positive tests from Nov. 30 to Dec. 21. Positive cases include individuals ranging from 1 year old to 98 years old, with a median age of 38. The ten deaths occurred between Dec. 15 to Dec. 20; one person was in their 50s, six people were in their 80s and three people were in their 90s. Three of the deaths were associated with long-term care facilities, according to ACHD. To date, ACHD has reported 47,908 cases, 790 deaths and 2,956 past and present hospitalizations due to the virus. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 7,962 new cases and 231 new deaths reported Tuesday. According to DOH, as of Tuesday, 6,151 individuals are currently hospitalized in Pennsylvania, about 20% of which are in intensive care units, and 772 individuals are using ventilators. DOH Director of Testing and Contact Tracing Michael Huff said during a press conference Tuesday that he expects testing to become more readily available in the future, with additional sites and more widespread rapid testing. Huff also said the state is working "very closely" with a vendor that is creating an at-home testing solution. "I would suggest to you that probably in the next two months, you're going to see some of these kits at the drugstores and other areas. And in the next three to six months, I think they'll be readily available." On Dec. 17, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for the first at-home testing kit. When asked why Pennsylvania has less rapid testing available than some other states, Huff said the state uses PCR tests instead of rapid antigen tests because they are more accurate. "More often than not, you're doing a rapid antigen test, and you may have to follow it up with a PCR test, which again, delays the results even more and creates some confusion." On Monday, U.S. Congress approved a $900 billion pandemic stimulus package, $22 billion of which will be sent directly to states for testing, tracing and mitigation measures. Huff said it is not yet clear how much money Pennsylvania will receive, but that the state is considering using the funding to increase surveillance testing on college campuses and in other congregate settings. Since the start of the vaccine rollout in Pennsylvania last week, 17,700 healthcare workers have received their first dose, according to DOH Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. Levine also reported that 30,225 additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine will come to Pennsylvania this week. Pennsylvania will also begin to receive 198,000 doses of the newly FDA-approved Moderna vaccine this week, Levine said. Next week will also begin a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreens to conduct on-site Pfizer vaccinations for skilled nursing facility staff and residents. Operation Warp Speed, a federal initiative attempting to administer vaccinations as quickly as possible, seeks to ensure every person who gets a first dose will get a second dose within 21 days, Levine said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that after the delivery of the first 2.9 million vaccine doses, the federal government held back an additional 2.9 million to ensure those same people will get the second dose. "Please remember, as we start the vaccination process, it will still be some months before manufacturers produce enough vaccine to immunize the general public," Levine said. "So that means that mitigation is more important than ever." Individuals who have been vaccinated still need to social distance and wear masks until there is widespread community adoption of the vaccine, Levine said. While the vaccines have an impressive success rate, community transmission is currently so severe that it's important to take every precaution. "There is no vaccine that is 100% effective," Levine said. "These vaccines in the clinical trials were at 90% or more effective, which is amazing, but it is still possible for people to get the coronavirus even though they receive the vaccine. There is every indication that it would be much, much milder and not lead to serious illness, but people still could be contagious." Weekly caseloads New, weekly COVID-19 caseloads dropped 7% last week, and percent positivity of tests decreased slightly, .4%, according to a Monday press release from Gov. Tom Wolf's office. From Dec. 11 to Dec. 17, the governor's office reports 57,098 new COVID-19 cases, which represents 4,371 fewer cases than the previous week. Last week also brought 5,750 new positive cases among 5 to 18-year-olds, about 13% of that demographic's total cases from throughout the pandemic. The figure is approximately 442 fewer than the previous week's caseload. Still, the governor's office continues to identify all 67 Pennsylvania counties as having a "substantial" transmission rate. Only 4.1% of the individuals with COVID-19 cases reported from Dec. 6 to Dec. 12 responded to case investigator questions about whether they've visited businesses, such as restaurants, gyms or salons. About 8.8% of those who responded said they visited a business. Surging hospitalizations COVID-19 hospitalizations are surging — leaving some Pennsylvania facilities with little or no ICU capacity — even as public health officials fear another spike in cases from upcoming holiday gatherings. With hospitals in danger of being overwhelmed, Levine cautioned last week against attending even small gatherings. "We all want this to be over. We all want to celebrate the holidays together and to be with the people we love. But this year, we simply can't," Levine said during a Thursday press briefing. "We have to keep each other safe and prevent an even bigger wave of hospitalizations than the one we're seeing now." Healthcare workers have begun receiving vaccine shots, though Levine notes that the general public might not be able to get doses until late spring or in the summer. The state is currently prioritizing shots for healthcare workers. Delivery of the Pfizer vaccine is limited to hospitals that can store large quantities of it at subzero temperatures — notably excluding some rural hospitals. Moderna's vaccine, which can be safely stored in a normal freezer, was approved Friday. The trend in the 14-day moving average of the number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 5,500 since the end of September. The statewide percent positivity for the week of Dec. 11 to 17 stood at 15.8%. Allegheny County Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out signals "the beginning of the end" of the pandemic, though she also said December will likely be the deadliest month of the pandemic so far. Bogen said she expects the general public to begin to gain access to COVID-19 vaccines in early summer. She encouraged everyone to get the vaccine, characterizing it as safe and rejecting the notion that it was rushed. It's already been given to tens of thousands of people around the world and has not had adverse effects, she said. "Although the vaccines were developed quickly, they were developed using existing technology that has been used to develop other vaccines," Bogen said. "[Vaccine makers] were also given unprecedented financial support that allowed them to be developed quickly without cutting corners." The vaccine does not give anyone COVID-19, but it can give you symptoms for one or two days, Bogen said. She said she participated in a Moderna vaccine trial that required her to get two doses and felt sick after the second shot. "I was really glad about that because it showed me that my immune system was responding to the vaccine," Bogen said. "And it also told me that I likely got the vaccine and not placebo." Bogen said that her department, local police, the liquor control board and the department of agriculture are working on enforcing the latest state orders restricting certain business operations but noted enforcement challenges remain. "We rely on you residents to patronize and support businesses that follow the rules and shun those that do not," Bogen said. Bogen advised residents to avoid long travel and large gatherings for holiday celebrations but stopped short of asking everyone to stay home. She recommended outdoor gatherings with masks for those who plan to celebrate in person with those outside their household. "I know that at least one member of my staff plans to exchange gifts with his in-laws outside around the campfire this year," Bogen said. "I hope he has a lot of fun." New statewide restrictions On Dec. 10, the governor announced new restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19, including the suspension of indoor dining, extracurricular activities at schools, and indoor activities at casinos, theaters and similar venues. Retail is limited to 50% of indoor capacity. The new restrictions took effect Dec. 12 and will run until Jan. 4 at 8 a.m. In announcing the new restrictions, Wolf noted the rising death toll from the pandemic and concern for hospital capacity. "The problem we're all facing is this virus continues to rage in Pennsylvania, and over the past several weeks it has become clear that we need to take further mitigation actions to protect Pennsylvanians and stop the spread of COVID-19," Wolf said during a press conference. "We all hoped it would not come to this. The current state of the surge in Pennsylvania, though, will not allow us to wait." In announcing the new restrictions, Wolf acknowledged the dire financial impact the pandemic has had on bars and restaurants, particularly around the holiday season. "It has been crushing, crushing for restaurants and bars," Wolf said. "Unfortunately, [the coronavirus] thrives in places where people gather together." The new restrictions limit in-person gatherings to 10 people. Places of worship are specifically excluded from the order but are urged to comply. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people. Top COVID news for the week of Dec. 13: The Department of State's Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation performed 496 inspections and opened 16 investigations focusing on COVID-19-specific compliance from Dec. 6-13. The bureau distributed three warning letters and one compliance letter. Consumers with complaints or concerns can file online. Pennsylvania distributed Pfizer vaccines to seven more hospitals, including UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, according to a Wednesday press release the governor's office. On Monday, Pennsylvania received 97,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, slated for 83 hospitals, including UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where five healthcare workers received the city's first doses. Deaths from the virus across the United States have surpassed 300,000. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. urged Americans on Wednesday to practice social distancing and listen to the experts. "While the delivery of a vaccine provides some light at the end of this dark tunnel, nothing can account for the pain of losing a family member, a friend or a neighbor," Casey said in a Wednesday press release. "We can still save lives." Wolf joined New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in calling for a new COVID-19 relief package from Congress in a Monday press briefing. "We need a comprehensive relief package right now," Wolf said in a press release. "We need an aid package that provides support for state and local governments, for businesses, and for the American people. People in my state are suffering right now due to a lack of federal assistance, and things will only get worse if the federal government refuses to act." This article was reported by Nicole C. Brambila, Oliver Morrison, Rich Lord, Matt Petras, Juliette Rihl, Charlie Wolfson, Mark Kramer, Jon Moss, Emma Folts, Veonna King, Amanda Su, Kellen Stepler, James Anthony Bell III, Sophie Burkholder and Amanda Hernandez. This article was produced by PublicSource.org, a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. PublicSource tells stories for a better Pittsburgh. Sign up for their free email newsletters at publicsource.org/newsletters.