Pennsylvania registered a 10.3% positivity rate for COVID-19 tests during the seven days ending Thursday, a disappointing upturn in an important virus barometer.
The latest figure is one percentage point more than the previous week, and more than double the 5% rate considered the threshold for significant spread of COVID-19.
Also, Pennsylvania during the seven days ending Thursday registered about 2,600 more COVID-19 cases than during the previous week, according to newly posted state data.
The numbers show Pennsylvania’s surge that began around July 4 continues to follow a choppy path.
The surge stopped its sharp upward trend more than a month ago at about half the level of last winter’s surge that eventually led to more than 200 deaths per day. But it has yet to show the abrupt decline that followed earlier surges, fueling worry cases might surge again as cold weather keeps Pennsylvanians indoors and they gather over the holidays.
The state health department reported 10,848 new COVID-19 infections for Wednesday and Thursday, with the daily totals exceeding Pennsylvania’s recent seven-day average.
One positive trend is that hospitalizations and the number of people on breathing ventilators continue to decline.
As of early Friday, Pennsylvania hospitals were caring for 2,609 COVID-19 patients, down from more than 3,000 a few weeks ago.
The state reported 91 new COVID-19 deaths on Friday, raising Pennsylvania’s pandemic toll to 32,279.
The state in its daily update Friday said 72.8% of Pennsylvanians 18 or older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which tops the national average of 70%.