tag | Department of Health

Roughly 254,000 people in the state did not get the second shot of a two-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

People are trying to normalize taking the COVID-19 vaccine in a community that has been disproportionately affected by the disease.

The state employs 1,600 contact tracers who can support municipalities and counties struggling to keep up with surging case numbers.

The state is in the midst of a spike in COVID-19 infections. Last Friday was the state’s highest one day case load ever reported at 2,219.

Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said 71% of people interviewed from Oct. 11-17 did not completely answer questions as to whether they frequented a business or attended a mass gathering in the 14 days before their symptoms showed up.

Colder weather, school and complacency are all playing a role in the uptick in cases.

On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf said he was “very concerned” about the rising numbers but added that the state was in a much better position to handle the virus than it was at the outset of the pandemic.

An investigation found state health officials abandoned their urgency in implementing a faster process, leaving them ill-prepared to accurately report death data when the pandemic arrived.