‘Better days lie ahead,’ but ‘The pandemic isn’t over yet’ – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny County health director said “better days are ahead,” but there could be more COVID-19 spikes that require you to wear a mask again.

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Bogen said the county averaged 150 to 175 COVID-19 cases per day last week, a significant drop from January’s daily average of 3,000.

Last week, CDC changed its mask principle to combine data on hospital admissions and only require face coverings indoors in “high” risk areas. Allegheny and surrounding counties are at “low” risk as the only preventive steps the CDC recommends are vaccination and testing of those with symptoms.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all on track. He said more than 800,000 residents have been vaccinated and nearly 1 million people have had at least one dose.

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Both Bogen and Fitzgerald continue to promote vaccination, pointing to one study that found residents who were fully vaccinated with boosters had much lower rates of hospitalization and death. Bogen said for every 10,000 unvaccinated residents, 251 were hospitalized, compared with 11 who were vaccinated. When it comes to deaths, 48 ​​unvaccinated people per 10,000 deaths compared to two vaccinated cases.

“As we head into spring with warmer weather, better days are ahead,” says Bogen.

But she warns this is not the end of COVID-19.

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“The pandemic is not over yet. There will probably be more phases, possibly more surges and variations, and you may be required to wear the mask again for a limited time in certain settings. We don’t know what the future holds but we do know that the present looks a lot better than it did last month and definitely better than it did in January,” she said.