Pennsylvania’s new acting health secretary on Tuesday urged the state’s residents to remain patient as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to drag.
Alison Beam, whom Gov. Tom Wolf nominated as the commonwealth’s top health official following Dr. Rachel Levine’s departure to the Biden administration, said the state remains focused on distributing the vaccine ethically and efficiently.
“The demand for vaccine far outweighs the supply,” Ms. Beam said. “But we will catch up. We must be patient.”
The message has been repeated since the vaccine rollout began more than a month ago, with Pennsylvania using just over 800,000 of the more than 1.6 million doses distributed to the state by the federal government, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mr. Wolf conceded that Pennsylvania sits “in the middle of the pack” in vaccine distribution compared to other U.S states, according to a New York Times vaccinations tracker. “We recognize that we need to do a better job. I hate being in the middle of anything. I want to be at the top of the pack.”
Mr. Wolf said the state was left in the lurch by the Trump administration’s overpromises and that a decentralized vaccine signup system should prove to be more efficient, as opposed to a centralized portal some states use.
He also defended federal guidelines — adopted by his administration — that pushed smokers into the first phase of vaccination, calling it an objective assessment of who is most vulnerable, not a value judgment.
Pennsylvania has been getting about 140,000 doses a week from the federal government and Wolf blamed a lack of supply, shifting guidance and unpredictable distributions by the Trump administration for a frustrating and disappointing rollout.
“Our goal remains that whatever we get, we get it out as quickly as we can,” Mr. Wolf said.
He is hoping the incoming Biden administration is able to speed up vaccine delivery and provide better guidance, he said.
A the current rate, it will take well past summer to reach the next phase, which includes police, corrections officers, first responders, teachers, grocery store workers and many others.
Randy Padfield, director of Mr. Wolf’s Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said the administration will look to mass vaccination events to increase output and reach areas that lack existing avenues, such as hospitals or pharmacies. But, he said, there isn’t enough vaccine yet to support such events.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania confirmed 219 new deaths from COVID-19, the state Health Department said Tuesday, a number higher than the two-day increase reported the previous day.
On Monday, the state said its increase — taken from Sunday and Monday — was 138 new deaths.
With the new figures, Pennsylvania has had 20,883 deaths from the virus. It also reported 4,628 new cases of the disease to increase its total to 807,867.
Allegheny County on Tuesday reported 282 new cases of COVID-19, one of the lowest daily increases the Pittsburgh region has seen in weeks.
One more person has died from the virus, the county Health Department said.
Of the latest infections, 219 cases were confirmed from 1,103 new PCR tests, and 63 were probable cases. Those infected with the virus ranged in age from 8 months to 95 years, with a median age of 41. The dates of positive tests ranged from Dec. 23 to Monday. One positive test is more than a week old, health officials said.
The new death occurred on Jan. 15 and was a person in his or her 80s who was in a long-term care facility, officials said.
According to the state Health Department, Allegheny County’s long-term facilities have had the highest number of deaths in the state, with 789 in 158 facilities. Philadelphia is second with 748 deaths in 84 facilities.
Since the county began reporting COVID-19 data in March, there have been 67,711 cases of the virus in Allegheny County residents, sending 4,044 people to the hospital and killing 1,270 people.
The county on Tuesday said it will be allowing additional vaccination appointments for people aged 65 years and older at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh next to the Monroeville Convention Center.
Appointments are mandatory and will be scheduled for Feb. 9-13.
The county said the registration system will not work with Internet Explorer. While users will be asked about insurance during registration, insurance is not required for the vaccine, which will be provided at no cost, the county said. The appointments can be made for the following dates and times.
● Tuesday, Feb. 9 (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
● Wednesday, Feb. 10 (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
● Thursday, Feb. 11 (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
● Friday, Feb. 12 (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
● Saturday, Feb. 13 (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
More information is available at the county’s website at https://alleghenycounty.us/COVIDvaccine.
More information about COVID-19 and vaccines can be found on the county’s dashboard and the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.
The Associated Press contributed.
First Published: January 26, 2021, 4:38 p.m.
Updated: January 26, 2021, 10:28 p.m.
