Coronavirus hospitalizations markedly increased in Luzerne County over the last two weeks in addition to confirmed cases, the state’s early warning update released Friday shows.
An average 38.4 county residents were hospitalized daily from Oct. 16 to Thursday, compared to 16.3 the prior week, according to the update posted at www.health.pa.gov.
The average daily number of county residents on ventilators also rose from 1.1 to 4.4 in the two-week period.
The county added 376 new confirmed cases the week of Oct. 16 to 22 — an increase of 102 from the previous week’s 274 new cases.
As a result, the county’s incidence rate, or number of cases per 100,000 residents, rose from 86.3 two weeks ago to a current 118.4, it said.
Also rising was the county’s positivity rate, or percentage of diagnostic tests yielding positive results, which jumped from 6% to 7.5%.
Based on the latest numbers, county school districts may be advancing to the higher classification of “substantial” community transmission in which remote-only learning is recommended by the state. This level is reached when the incidence rate is 100 or above or the positivity rate is 10% or higher.
Eleven counties were in the substantial level this week, prompting the state health and education departments to speak with their school districts about implications, a state release said.
Luzerne County has lingered in the “moderate” virus spread ranking, which meant districts were advised to avoid full in-person instruction.
To advance to the “low” spread ranking, counties must have both fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period and a positivity rate below 5%, the state has said. Districts in counties ranked as “low” transmission should consider full in-person instruction or a blended system, with some students in school while others learn remotely at home, the state said.
To put the county’s new numbers in perspective, both its incidence and positivity rates are higher than those in Philadelphia and statewide.
Philadelphia has an incidence rate of 102.3 and 6.1% positivity rate. The state’s incidence rate is 79.1, and its positivity rate is 5%.
Luzerne County was added to the state’s weekly list of “concerning” positivity rates that bear watching in a state release that referenced a “fall resurgence of cases.”
“We cannot emphasize enough the importance of Pennsylvanians being united in taking actions to protect ourselves and others, such as wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding large gatherings,” wrote Gov. Tom Wolf.
County Manager C. David Pedri had issued his own warning last week, urged residents to wear masks and other precautions due to an “alarming trend” of increasing caseloads and four deaths within two days.
Statewide numbers
Pennsylvania also experienced a rise in cases, the latest update said.
There were 10,127 additional cases statewide in the week ending Thursday, or 1,278 more than the prior week’s 8,849.
With that increase, the statewide cases per 100,000 rose from 69.1 to 79.1. The state’s positivity rate increased from 4.2% to 5% in the latest week.
The remaining statewide updates in the dashboard:
• Average daily hospitalizations rose from 759.1 to 936.
• The daily average number of patients on ventilators increased from 87.6 t0 100.6.
• The percentage of hospital visits due to coronavirus-like illnesses statewide remained the same, 0.8%.
Neighboring Lackawanna County had 289 new cases in the latest week, a decrease from the prior week’s 328. It has an incidence rate of 137.1 and a 7% positivity rate.