CDC Still Recommends Masking In 15 PA Counties: Latest Numbers

PENNSYLVANIA — A week deeper into the summer, coronavirus numbers have improved overall in Pennsylvania, according to the latest data from the CDC and the Department of Health. However, there remain a faction of counties where the virus is still at a high level of transmission, leading authorities to recommend masking there in public, indoor spaces.

The CDC recommends masking in counties with "high" COVID-19 community levels — a metric based on hospitalizations and case rates that the agency adopted in late February. The agency updates its color-coded COVID-19 maps each Thursday.

Last week, 15 counties fell into the high category that prompts mask recommendations.

The CDC's mask recommendations do not trigger any mandates in Pennsylvania. People may also choose to continue masking in any setting.

State of COVID In PA

New case numbers are down notably over the past week, falling from 19,808 to 16,823.

The number of COVID patients in Pennsylvania hospitals increased slightly over the past week, with 1,188 average daily hospitalizations over the previous week's 1,149. The percentage of emergency room visits due to COVID-19 symptoms remained the same, at 0.6 percent.

Atotal of 93 people in Pennsylvania died from the virus in the past week, according to the CDC. The state has confirmed 46,261 confirmed deaths from the virus since the pandemic began, according to the Department of Health.

The state's positivity rate also fell slightly, from 17.3 percent to 17.2 percent over the past week, according to state statistics.