Pennsylvania's Statewide Positivity Rate Plummets To 2.9 Percent

PENNSYLVANIA — As the vaccination rate continues to spike into early summer, Pennsylvania has seen great success in eradicating much of the presence of the pandemic.

The statewide percent positivity rate on coronavirus tests has now plummeted all the way down to 2.9 percent. It was more than three times that as recently as early April, when it reached 9.4 percent.

“Lowered case counts and increased vaccinations every day continue to be encouraging news across the commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said. “Pennsylvanians remain resilient putting their best foot forward to fight COVID-19."

The state has now fully vaccinated 55.7 percent of all adults 18 and older, while 59.4 percent of the entire population has received at least one dose.

This week's 2.9 positivity rate is a drop of nearly a percent from last week, when it stood at 3.8 percent. The vast majority of the state's counties, 55 out of 67, now have a positivity rate below the 5 percent threshold. That's the mark for what the CDC considers "suppression" of the virus.

No counties have a positivity rate over 20 percent, the state said.

The total number of new cases reported also continues to rapidly drop. The past week saw 2,889 new cases, as compared to 5,007 the week before that.

All healthcare metrics are also falling across the state. The average daily number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus is now at 971 in Pennsylvania, compared to 1,188 the week before.

State officials are also continuing to monitor how each county is performing in community transmission. The latest figures place 13 counties in the "low" category, 53 in the "moderate" category," and one in the "substantial" group. Here's the breakdown:

Low

Cameron, Clarion, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Fulton, Jefferson, Juniata, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, and Warren

Moderate

Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York

Substantial

McKean