Statistics for the past week from the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the six-county region is faring worse with COVID-19 than the state as a whole.

The average number of new cases for the local counties per 100,000 residents — the incidence rate — is 469, compared to the state’s incidence rate of 336.

Test positivity for the local counties is 15%, compared to 14.4% for the state as a whole.

The 57 COVID-19 deaths in the region last week comprise almost 7% of the 824 deaths for the whole state, while the area comprises only 4.5% of the Pennsylvania population.

Tellingly, about 49% of the residents 5 years old and up in the local counties are vaccinated, compared to 64% of residents statewide.

All the local counties remain in high COVID-19 transmission status, as does the state.

Of the local counties, Blair had the highest number of deaths and the highest number of ICU beds used last week; Cambria had the highest number of new cases; Clearfield the highest incidence rate; Bedford the highest positivity and percentage of hospital beds used and the lowest vaccination rate; and Centre the most hospital admissions.

The numbers:

* Blair County: 605 new cases; down 5%; 496 incidence rate; 19 deaths; 12% positivity, down 3%; 50% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; 51 hospital admissions, down 34%; 26% of hospital beds used; 74% of ICU beds used.

* Bedford County: 234 new cases, up 2%; 488 incidence rate; 10 deaths; 18% positivity, down 2%; 37% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; 17 new hospital admissions, down 19%; 68% of hospital beds used.

* Cambria County: 667 new cases, up 1%; 512 incidence rate; 9 deaths; 12% positivity, down less than 1%; 54% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; 34 hospital admissions, down 8%; 24% of hospital beds used; 45% of ICU beds used.

* Centre County: 579 new cases, down 9%; 356 incidence rate; six deaths; 10% positivity, down 3%; 57% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; 56 hospital admissions, down 17%; 44% of hospital beds used; 67% of ICU beds used.

* Clearfield County: 432 new cases; up 11%; 545 incidence rate; nine deaths; 11% positivity, down 6%; 48% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; 42 hospital admissions, down 4%; 30% of hospital beds used; 28% of ICU beds used.

* Huntingdon County: 239 new cases, up 13%; 529 incidence rate; four deaths; 8% positivity, down 2%; 49% of residents 5 and over fully vaccinated; eight hospital admissions, down 46%; 23% of hospital beds used; 57% of ICU beds used.

Transmission levels are based on incidence rate and test positivity over the past seven days.

The levels are high if the incidence rate is at least 100, or if the positivity rate is at least 10%.

All the local counties qualify for high transmission based on incidence rate and all but Huntingdon based on positivity.

COVID rates in children

Weekly COVID-19 cases among school-age children (5-18):

Blair: 85 cases for the week ending Tuesday; 1,359 since mid-August.

Bedford: 25 for week; 547 cumulative.

Cambria: 94 for week; 1,552 cumulative.

Centre: 79 for week; 1,100 cumulative.

Clearfield: 54 for week; 734 cumulative.

Huntingdon: 29 for week; 365 cumulative.

Weekly COVID-19 cases among preschool children (0-4):

Blair: 23 for week; 203 cumulative.

Bedford: 5 for week; 80 cumulative.

Cambria: 24 for week; 261 cumulative.

Centre: 21 for week; 214 cumulative.

Clearfield: 16 for week; 119 cumulative.

Huntingdon: 10 for week; 56 cumulative.