The Lead

Pa. Health Dept.: 4K new cases of COVID-19; 2.6K hospitalized

By: - November 9, 2021 12:36 pm

After a second dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, a swarm of antibodies attacks the virus. (Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images)

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 4,021 new cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 1.6 million new cases since the start of the pandemic.

As of midday Tuesday, 2,611 people were hospitalized with the virus. Of those patients, 589 were in hospital intensive care units, and 353 were using a ventilator, according to data posted to the agency’s pandemic tracking website.

The department also confirmed 77 new deaths attributed to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths attributed to the virus to 31,992 since the start of the pandemic, state data showed.

As of midday Tuesday, the statewide positivity rate was 9.3 percent, up from 8.8 percent last week, and 72.5 percent of Pennsylvanians 18 or older were fully vaccinated, according to the department.

All Pennsylvanians aged 5 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. You can use this Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.

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John L. Micek
John L. Micek

A 3-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's Editor-in-Chief. An award-winning political reporter, Micek’s career has taken him from small town meetings and Chicago City Hall to Congress and the Pennsylvania Capitol. His weekly column on U.S. politics is syndicated to 800 newspapers nationwide by Cagle Syndicate. He also contributes commentary and analysis to broadcast outlets in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Micek’s first novel, “Ordinary Angels,” was released in 2019 by Sunbury Press.

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