Wear Masks In These 9 PA Counties, The CDC Says

UPDATE, Tuesday 10 a.m.: According to data released by the CDC on Tuesday, masks should now be worn in 25 Pennsylvania counties. The latest is here.

Previous report:

PENNSYLVANIA — The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that four counties in Pennsylvania are reporting high community spread of the coronavirus. Five counties report substantial community spread.

Four counties — Crawford, Warren, McKean and Armstrong — have high COVID-19 spread. The five counties with substantial spread are Philadelphia, Northampton, Clearfield, Adams and Lawrence.

The CDC recommends that people wear masks indoors, even if they are fully vaccinated, if they are in areas with substantial or high coronavirus transmission. That includes almost two-thirds of all counties in the country.

The remainder of the state's 67 counties have either low or moderate spread. The latest weekly community spread rates for counties cover the period from July 25 through July 31.

The CDC and other health organizations have emphasized that the way to slow community transmission of the virus is for people to get vaccinated against it.

The national average of adults that have received at least one dose of the vaccine is 69.9 percent. The Pennsylvania counties with high transmission spread are below that average:

• Crawford: 53.8 percent.

• Warren: 57 percent.

• McKean: 61.2 percent.

• Armstrong: 63 Percent.

Three of the five counties with substantial transmission spread are below the national vaccination average:

• Clearfield: 53.9 percent.

• Lawrence: 54.1 percent.

• Adams: 57.5 percent.

• Philadelphia: 72.3 percent.

• Northampton: 82.1 percent.

(Graphic: CDC)

Community transmission spread key:

Red: High.

Brown: Substantial.

Yellow: Moderate.

Blue: Low.

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