Franklin County's COVID cases fall 47.2%; Pennsylvania cases plummet 21.9%
Pennsylvania reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 19,343 new cases. That's down 21.9% from the previous week's tally of 24,766 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Pennsylvania ranked 43rd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 42% from the week before, with 722,053 cases reported. With 3.85% of the country's population, Pennsylvania had 2.68% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, three states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Franklin County reported 228 cases and seven deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 432 cases and 13 deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 39,827 cases and 655 deaths.
Across Pennsylvania, cases fell in 59 counties, with the best declines in Philadelphia County, with 1,376 cases from 2,496 a week earlier; in Allegheny County, with 2,055 cases from 2,419; and in York County, with 690 cases from 982.
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Pennsylvania ranked 13th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 83% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 76.1%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Saturday, Pennsylvania reported administering another 105,820 vaccine doses, including 28,398 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 230,544 vaccine doses, including 76,198 first doses. In all, Pennsylvania reported it has administered 21,965,985 total doses.
Within Pennsylvania, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Fulton County with 406 cases per 100,000 per week; Greene County with 331; and Fayette County with 331. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Allegheny County, with 2,055 cases; Philadelphia County, with 1,376 cases; and Montgomery County, with 1,213. Weekly case counts rose in eight counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties.
In Pennsylvania, 586 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 665 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,744,145 people in Pennsylvania have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 42,789 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 78,479,134 people have tested positive and 935,335 people have died.
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Pennsylvania's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Feb. 20.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 4,219
- The week before that: 4,885
- Four weeks ago: 7,850
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 83,365
- The week before that: 105,697
- Four weeks ago: 183,913
Hospitals in zero states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in one states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in zero states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.