'Better and better': Allegheny County officials hopeful as covid numbers drop

Allegheny County officials took an optimistic tone during a virtual news conference Wednesday, as they predicted the county is “near the end of the pandemic.”

“We’re seeing better and better results,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said Allegheny County is now averaging less than 130 new cases a day, the lowest the average has been since late October. Only 93 cases were reported Wednesday, after several weeks of consecutive weeks of improvement.

“I am hopeful that we can keep the numbers heading in the right direction, especially as we approach May 31 and the lifting of all mitigation orders – except for the mask mandate – in the state of Pennsylvania,” she said.

New cases are generally still traced to the same sources as before, Bogen said – maskless gatherings, indoors, with individuals who haven’t received vaccines, including parties and family gatherings. Recent outbreaks have been traced to church youth groups, skating rink outings and sporting events, she said.

Vaccinations also continue to rise, with 68% of the county’s population having gotten at least one shot, Bogen said.

Bogen reminded residents that full protection from the vaccine does not occur until 14 days after the second dose, or 14 days after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“Getting vaccinated is really the key to keeping the numbers low. It’s really that simple,” Bogen said. “Covid-19 might never fully go away, but with enough people vaccinated, we can manage small outbreaks mainly among the unvaccinated and regain control of our lives.”

In the meantime, Bogen said the county is continuing its vaccination efforts, including new efforts to inoculate adolescents as young as 12 with the Pfizer vaccine. Bogen said the county is planning clinics in schools and libraries.

She also encouraged individuals with transportation barriers to call 2-1-1 to arrange for a ride to get to a vaccine, and named other transportation resources, like the United Way’s “Ride United” service.

“We want to make sure it is as easy as possible for everyone to get vaccinated,” Bogen said. “We want to remove all obstacles.”