Apr 15, 2021 2 min read

Nearly 50% of Allegheny County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the county said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, cases there among younger people have been steadily increasing since mid-March, even though virus-related hospitalizations of those between the ages of 5 and 24 have not risen, county Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said.

And breakthrough cases involving those who have been fully vaccinated have been low in Allegheny, something Bogen said was “truly remarkable.”

Nearly 70% of Allegheny residents who are 65 or older has received at least one dose of a virus vaccination, she said. No one who has been vaccinated in Allegheny has died from the disease, Bogen said.

The state Health Department urged all college students in Pennsylvania to get a COVID-19 vaccine before the spring semester ends, and asked the schools to work with providers to make that happen.

“The COVID-19 vaccine will allow postsecondary institutions to provide more in-person learning and improve the safety of our campus communities for our students, faculty and staff,” said Acting State Secretary of Education Noe Ortega.

However, new cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 continued to increase in Allegheny and across the state.

There have been at least several hundred new cases announced each day in recent weeks in Allegheny.

The state reported 5,730 new virus cases Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 1,087,792.

The virus has killed 25,522 Pennsylvanians after 50 new deaths were announced Wednesday, including two in Washington County and one in Greene County.

Washington County reported 138 new cases, bringing its total to 16,104. Greene added 14 new cases to its total of 3,045. Fayette County reported 46 new cases, taking its total to 11,836.