The community is welcome to contact the Erie County Department of Health for guidance on COVID-19. For details on how to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, how to use home test kits, isolation guidelines, 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/.
Halloween precautions
The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay up to date with vaccination and boosters, even for those who have had COVID-19. Vaccines help the body prevent severe illness and lessens the likelihood of needing hospitalization.
Boosters extend the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 and help protect against variants. Variants are versions of the original COVID-19 virus that may differ in the way in how contagious they are, how they make people sick and how they respond to vaccines and medicines.
Free vaccines and boosters are available for residents of Erie County. For list of local vaccination sites, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine or text ZIP Code to 438829, visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233.
Other recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 include:
· Everyone should remember to wash their hands before and after trick-or-treating and preparing treats, décor and food.
· As on option, instead of handing out treats to trick-or-treaters, households can pre-package items and place them inside containers or lay them out on a table or chair at a distance from the house, such as the end of the driveway or edge of the yard.
· 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 masking indoors and rapid testing before travelling, joining gatherings, or attending “haunted house”-type attractions.
· Anyone may choose to mask at any time, regardless of vaccination status.
· 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.
Cases and data
From Oct. 10 to 23,
· There were 633 cases reported, with a daily average of 45 cases. New case numbers reflect only reported cases and is not a definitive indicator of actual number of cases in Erie County.
· There were 7 deaths reported, with dates of death from Aug. 8 to Oct. 11, increasing the total death count in 2022 to 160.
There were 218 vaccination and booster doses administered. There were also 7,712 bivalent booster doses administered. This increases the total number of persons vaccinated to 185,958 with the following breakdown:
| Number of persons | Of total population | |
| Partially vaccinated | 23,608 | 8.8% |
| Fully vaccinated | 162,076 | 60.1% |
| Received first booster | 83,590 | 31.0% |
| Received second booster | 20,330 | 7.5% |
| Received bivalent booster | 21,928 | 8.1% |
Among the total reported deaths in 2022 in Erie County, the breakdown by vaccination status and age range is as follows:
| Vaccination status among reported 2022 Deaths | Ages0-49 | Ages50-64 | Ages65 & older | Sub-total | Percentage breakdown |
| Partially vaccinated andNot vaccinated | 8 | 15 | 56 | 79 | 49% |
| Fully vaccinated – not up to date with primary series or booster | 0 | 3 | 42 | 45 | 28% |
| Fully vaccinated –up to date with primary series | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4% |
| Fully vaccinated –up to date with booster (including bivalent booster) | 0 | 4 | 25 | 29 | 18% |
| Total | 160 | 160 | 100% |
Related reference at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status
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
Importance of testing
Community members, vaccinated or unvaccinated, are recommended 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.
For list of local sites offering free testing, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-testing-information.
