Erie, PA — According to the COVID-19 Community Levels guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is updated weekly, Erie County is now currently at high risk.
At this level, recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 include the following:
· Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses, for 5 years and older, including those who are pregnant and plan on becoming pregnant. This means getting all recommended primary and booster doses when eligible.
· Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status.
· If you are (or live, work or have contact with someone who is) at high risk for severe illness or have a weak immune system, consider rapid testing before gatherings and avoiding non-essential indoor gatherings.
· Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19.
· Wear a mask if you have symptoms, positive test results, or have been exposed to COVID-19.
· Stay home while waiting for test results. If you have positive test results, even if you don’t have symptoms, stay home and apart from others in your home and, if possible, use a separate bathroom; inform your close contacts to stay home and get tested.
· Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible.
The community is welcome to contact the Erie County Department of Health for guidance. For details on how to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, isolation and quarantine, preventing spread of COVID-19 in business establishments and events, and other information, contact covidresponse@eriecountypa.gov or 814-451-6700 or fill out the online Community Form at Eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/.
Cases and data
In the past week, May 16 Monday to 22 Sunday,
· There were 777 cases reported, with a daily average of 111 cases.
· There was 1 new deaths reported, the total death count is 799.
· The total unvaccinated death count remains at 655, which is 82% of the total deaths (799).
As of May 22, among the total reported in deaths in Erie County, the breakdown by vaccination status and age range is as follows:
| Reported Deaths | Ages0-49 | Ages50-64 | Ages65 & older | Sub-total | Percentage breakdown |
| Not vaccinated | 31 | 91 | 533 | 655 | 82% |
| Partially vaccinated | 0 | 3 | 28 | 31 | 4% |
| Fully vaccinated without a booster | 2 | 16 | 73 | 91 | 11% |
| Additional dose/booster | 0 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 3% |
| Total | 799 | 799 | 100% |
Related reference at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status
The number of persons vaccinated from May 16 to May 22 was 237. This increases the total number of persons vaccinated to 182,430 with the following breakdown:
| Number of persons | Of eligible population | Of total population | |
| Partially vaccinated | 23,617 | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Fully vaccinated | 158,813 | 62.3% | 58.9% |
| Received first booster | 80,146 | 31.5% | 29.7% |
| Received second booster | 12,363 | 4.9% | 4.6% |
Information on cases and deaths in Erie County and other data such as reports on vaccination demographics can be found at the Erie County Government website https://eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/positive-cases-in-erie-county/. Latest recommendations and related data is also available at the websites of
· Pennsylvania Department of Health health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Cases.aspx
· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view
Benefit of vaccination and boosters
The benefit of staying up to date on vaccination and boosters, even for those who have had COVID-19, is that it helps the body prevent severe illness and lessens the likelihood of needing hospitalization. If having concerns or questions about vaccines, approach healthcare professionals or contact the Erie County Department of Health at 814-451-6700 for facts and answers.
Boosters extend the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 and help protect against variants. Based on data from Erie County, those who are boosted are:
· 7 times less like to be infected with COVID-19
· 14 times less likely to die from COVID-19
Free vaccines and boosters are available for residents of Erie County ages 5 years and older. For list of local vaccination sites, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine.
To find vaccines and boosters in other nearby locations text ZIP Code to 438829, visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233.
Importance of testing
Erie County Department of Health recommends community members, vaccinated or unvaccinated, to get tested for COVID-19 if they have been exposed to anyone who has COVID-19 or if they have symptoms such as sore throat, coughing, upper respiratory congestion, difficulty breathing, fever or chills, muscle or body aches, vomiting or diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell. Testing results can help determine appropriate care and treatment if needed.
Community members using home test kits who have questions or need guidance can call 814-451-6700.
For list of local sites offering free testing, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-testing-information.
