Last week, Erie County learned that COVID-19 is more than just a threat to the lives of old and chronically ill people.
Two patients in their 30s died at the hospital. It's the first time in Erie hospital's history that two COVID-19 patients died on the same day.
The youngest critically ill patient of the Pandemic was seen by SaintVincent last week.
The Erie County Department of Health Director said that one of the local hospitals treated an infant with COVID-19 who needed a ventilator.
Christopher Clark, D.O., SaintVincent president, said that they had a child who had to be transferred from the emergency department. The patient was too young for the vaccine.
Children 5 and older can get the vaccine.
The two young adults who died were unvaccinated. Clark said that the deaths show the importance of being fully vaccineed.
Clark said that unvaccinated people are at a greater risk of dying. People in their 30s.
Hospitals in Erie County treat almost as many COVID-19 patients as they did at any time during the Pandemic. The average of daily COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county decreased slightly on Tuesday.
The hospital is scrambling to deal with a surge in patients.
The county had an average of 122.6 patients on the highest days.
Emily Shears, vice president of quality for UPMC in northwestern Pennsylvania and New York, said that they have seen a reprieve at UPMC Hamot, but they are always full. We have the ability to care for people, but we are busy with other patients.
Erie County's COVID-19 totals are stable at high levels.
The daily number of new cases remains so high that the COVID-19 hospitalization numbers are expected to continue to decline.
There were 180 new cases in Erie County Tuesday. There were 118 on Monday, 140 on Sunday and 293 on Saturday.
Charlotte Berringer, R.N., director of community health services at the county Health Department, said that they expect those numbers to go up with the holidays approaching. If you and your family are fully vaccined and boosted, you can socialize freely. I strongly encourage you to wear a mask when celebrating with people who don't live in your household.
There is a mask mandate for Erie County schools.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday overturned a statewide mask mandate, but Erie County's public and private schools must continue to wear face masks through the end of the year.
The mask mandate for schools in Erie County will remain in effect until further notice, according to a news release.
The mask mandate for schools is still in effect.
The mask mandate will remain in place until I leave office on January 3, said Dahlkemper Tuesday. I don't know what will happen after that.
When he takes office in January, the Erie County Executive-elect plans to give local school districts the power to implement their own mask and mitigation policies, he told the Erie Times-News on Monday.
What's next for masks in Pennsylvania schools?
Contact David Bruce at dbruce. You can follow him on social media.
