With COVID-19 cases on the rise, State College Borough Council on Monday night unanimously approved a resolution that “urges all Borough of State College businesses and other public facilities to require masking indoors for all persons.”
The resolution — which is not a requirement and which passed without discussion — was recommended by the borough’s Board of Health at its Aug. 10 meeting.
Penn State, Centre County government offices and municipal buildings in State College, College Township, Ferguson Township and Harris Township currently require indoor masking for employees and visitors.
For nearly two weeks, Centre County has been at the substantial level for community transmission of COVID-19, the second highest level on the Centers for Disease Control scale.
Updated CDC guidance issued in July states that people in counties with substantial or high levels of transmission should wear masks in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. Although infections among people who are fully vaccinated are rare — even with the more transmissible Delta variant fueling a surge in new cases — preliminary evidence suggests those who do become infected can spread it to others, according to the CDC.
Transmission levels are based on cases per 100,000 people and testing positivity rates over the past seven days.
According to the CDC’s most recent update on Monday, Centre County had 81.9 cases per 100,000 from Aug. 9-15, firmly within the substantial range of 50-100.
The county’s positivity rate during that time was 5.1%, which is in the moderate range. If the two indicators suggest differing transmission levels, the CDC selects the higher level.
Since the beginning of August, Centre County has added 238 new COVID-19 cases after registering 148 for the entire month of July.
On a statewide level, Pennsylvania is now at the highest level of transmission.
Hospitalizations statewide and locally also have climbed since the end of July. As of the end of last week, Mount Nittany Medical Center had 29 COVID-positive admissions so far in August with an average daily census of 12. In July, it had 37 admissions and an average daily census of six.
In response to the increase, the hospital has had to reschedule some elective surgeries requiring overnight admission.
“The vast majority of people who have been hospitalized at the Medical Center for COVID are not fully vaccinated,” Dr. Upendra Thaker, Mount Nittany Health chief medical officer, said in a statement. “The COVID vaccine is highly effective and our best defense against the transmission of COVID in our community. We have vaccinated more than 45,000 people in our community, and we strongly encourage everyone to receive it.”
Vaccination appointments for ages 12 and older are available through Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Mount Nittany Health and through other pharmacies and providers listed at vaccines.gov.
