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The recent upswell in COVID-19 cases in the region may have peaked, although two key indicators remain unfavorable.
The cumulative number of new cases for the six local counties fell this week by 52, after rising the previous week by 127, according to Friday's update of the state Department of Health's early warning dashboard.
But the number of new cases this week per 100,000 residents, or incidence rate; and the percentage of COVID-19 tests that showed infections, or positivity rate, are both higher in all the local counties than the thresholds for concern for those metrics -- 50 for the incidence rate and 5% for positivity.
Blair County has 24 more new COVID-19 cases this week than in the previous week, and Bedford County had seven more new cases; while, conversely, Centre County has 62 fewer cases, Clearfield has 13 fewer, Huntingdon has nine fewer and Bedford one fewer case.
The highest incidence rate among the local counties was Clearfield's, with 217 new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents -- although that is actually 4% less than the county's incidence rate last week.
The next highest incidence rate among the local counties was Blair's, with 209 new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents -- 13% more than for the previous week.
Centre's incidence rate was next, at 197 new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents -- a 15% decrease.
Cambria follows with 178 new cases per 100,000 residents, a 6% rise; with Bedford at 142, up 2%; and Huntingdon at 119, down 9%.
The highest rate of positive results among COVID-19 tests conducted this week was in Clearfield County, at 12.8% -- same as its rate the previous week.
The next highest rate of positive results for tests conducted this week was in Bedford County, at 12%, down a little less than a point.
The next highest test positivity rate was in Blair, at 10.3%, up less than a point; followed by Cambria, at 9.2%, up 0.1 point; then Huntingdon, at 6.1%, same as the week before.
Centre was the local county with the highest percentage of hospital patients who are there for COVID-19 treatment -- but that rate is only 1%.
In Blair County, 0.6% of hospital patients are in for COVID-19.
Statewide, there were 4,172 fewer new COVID-19 cases this week than last week.
Statewide, there were also 165 new cases this week per 100,000 people, well above the 50-case threshold of concern, but down 13% from the previous week.
Statewide, 8.6% of test results were positive, above the 5% threshold of concern, but down a point from the previous week.
Pharmacies
Thompson Pharmacy at 600 E. Chestnut Ave. will host a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. It's the final day of a three-day effort.
Mainline Pharmacy, which has been conducting mass vaccination clinics in the region for months, will provide its 100,000th COVID-19 inoculation Saturday at Saint Francis University, according to a pharmacy spokesman.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.