No Plans For Extended Restrictions But PA Officials Watching Data

PENNSYLVANIA — As the coronavirus surge starts to even out in Pennsylvania and the vaccines are distributed more widely, state officials say that they have no immediate plans to extend their recently announced mitigation orders beyond the Jan. 4 date.

However, all that could change if there is a post-holiday spike in cases. It's unclear exactly what numbers would lead the state to re-evaluate their position.

"We're gonna have to watch our numbers very carefully," Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said on Wednesday, urging Pennsylvanians to stay home and avoid travel over the holidays. "I don't have a specific cutoff, but if there's an enormous spike in cases, that would be very challenging."

The announcement comes as Philadelphia said on Tuesday that it had extended its ban on certain activities through Jan. 15.

The state saw huge spikes in cases following both the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

At the state level, the mood is still one of cautious optimism this week, with several key metrics tracking the strength of the virus showing improvement.

"We are continuing to see a plateau in terms of the rise of new cases, and it is in almost every area of the state," Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Wednesday. "We look at our data every day to see if our plateau continues."

Additionally, the Moderna vaccine is "flowing" now in Pennsylvania, Levine said, reaching facilities across the state. A total of 51 hospitals are expected to receive Moderna shipments this week. Because it does not require the ultra-cold storage of the Pfizer vaccine, there are fewer restrictions on where it can be distributed.

These initial doses of the vaccine are earmarked specifically for healthcare workers. The next phase, which includes both vulnerable seniors over 75 as well as other frontline workers like teachers and prison guards, is broader and distribution is expected to be a bit more complex: the state is still finalizing the prioritization order.

Pennsylvania does not plan to follow New Jersey's model of six major vaccine distribution sites, there will be some state-run clinics that distribute doses in this next phase. The state is also working with pharmacies, health centers, hospitals, doctor's offices, and more.

Even as case numbers decrease and the state's percent positivity rate on tests falls below 16 percent, hospitalization rates remain high. "Mitigation right now is more important than ever," Levine added, as the vaccine moves through the healthcare system.