Pa. sees uptick in coronavirus percent positivity, lists 17 counties as ones to watch, many of which are home to colleges

Rachel Levine

Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, speaks during a press conference inside PEMA headquarters on Tuesday, August 18, 2020.Commonwealth Media Services: Natalie Kolb

Pennsylvania reported fewer coronavirus cases between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10 then it did the seven days prior, but the state also saw an uptick in its percent positivity results.

The news was contained in a release that also listed a number of counties that are being monitored, many of which are home to college campuses.

Pa. Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine began her Monday afternoon briefing to reporters with an ‘important message’ to university and college students. It requested that social distancing is practiced, facemasks are worn, and that large group gatherings are avoided as a number of campuses have reported higher than normal confirmed coronavirus cases since the fall semester started. It also reminded anyone listening to quarantine if they test positive and made a plea that everyone wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when out and about

“I’d like to highlight two areas of the state that have seen the biggest increase: In North Central Pennsylvania, in April, approximately seven percent of cases were in people ages 19 to 24,” Levine said. "So far in September, 69 percent of the cases in North Central Pennsylvania are in 19- to 24-year-olds.

“In the northeast, six percent of cases in April were in 19- to 24-year-olds, and so far for September, 40 percent of cases are in that age group. Throughout the rest of the state, we are also seeing an average of about a 19 percent increase in the number of cases and 19- to 24-year-olds compared to April.”

Levine did not reveal which counties make up those regions, but the state’s early monitoring dashboard offers a hint. Here are the 17 counties listed as being monitored for “concerning percent-positivity”:

  • Columbia (13.4%)
  • Indiana (10.7%)
  • Juniata (10.3%)
  • Centre (9.2%)
  • York (7.4%)
  • Fulton (6.7%)
  • Armstrong (6.5%)
  • Chester (6.5%)
  • Butler (6.2%)
  • Franklin (6.2%)
  • Montour (6.2%)
  • Beaver (5.7%)
  • Clarion (5.5%)
  • Mercer (5.4%)
  • Dauphin (5.2%)
  • Greene (5.1%)
  • Lycoming (5.1%)

The statewide percent-positivity rate increased from 4.0 percent to 4.2 percent between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10, but the number of new COVID-19 cases statewide dropped 490 from 5,502 to 5,012.

“One of the biggest lessons that we have learned from this pandemic is that we are all interconnected and interdependent on each other, really in every way,” Levine said.

“The virus has passed through every societal barrier because asymptomatic individuals can and do unknowingly and unintentionally infect others. We must be united. We must stand united in our efforts to stop this virus and doing more damage to our communities, our families, and our friends.”

More coverage:

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.