Four Central Pennsylvania healthcare systems are partially lifting mask mandates that have been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Penn Medicine LG Health, Penn State Health, UPMC, and WellSpan made separate announcements this week regarding their masking policies.
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Now that the government has approved a second dose of the COVID-19 booster for people 65 or older and those with weakened immune systems, what about availability?
The first thing to know is it involves the same bivalent booster approved last fall — called “bivalent” because it protects against the original COVID-19 strain as well as the omicron variant.
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More than 6,000 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as a surge in new cases is beginning to pressure local health systems across the commonwealth.
The Department of Health reported 6,020 COVID-19 hospitalizations on its dashboard as of Tuesday morning, a 120% jump from this time last month, when 2,737 patients were hospitalized. A total of 1,249 COVID-19 patients were being treated in intensive care, and 697 patients were on ventilators.
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In early April of this year, faith leaders and religious organizations were forced to take drastic safety measures to suspend in-person Easter or Passover services at churches and synagogues due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Eight months later, COVID-19 numbers continue to climb throughout the state, reaching numbers far higher than those seen in the spring. And as the end-of-year holiday season approaches, those same religious organizations are weighing their options for the safety and well-being of their congregations.
Each day for the last nine months, WellSpan Health’s doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and other team members have been caring for family, friends and neighbors affected by COVID-19 in south central Pennsylvania.
At our WellSpan hospitals in Chambersburg, Gettysburg and Waynesboro, nearly one out of every two hospital beds is occupied by patients with COVID-19. The strain on hospitals is intense, impacting their ability to perform routine surgeries and keep services open.
Our team members are amazing people caring for people they know and love. That’s the commitment made by our care teams. It is WellSpan’s mission in action. Their mantra has been the same from the beginning of the pandemic: Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stand 6 feet away from others.
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PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Pennsylvania reported its highest single-day increase on Thursday with more than 11,000 new cases of COVID-19.
State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said the state is running low on hospital beds in the Southwest and Central regions of the state.
“The people who make our health care system work are relying on you to do the right thing,” Dr. Levine said.
“You might not need hospital care right now. You might not have a loved one in the hospital right now, but what is happening in our hospitals has a direct impact on you,” Dr. Levine said.
In Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, it is not quite at that stage.
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