On average, 125.4 Luzerne County residents were hospitalized daily for coronavirus this week — an increase of 19.5 compared to two weeks ago, according to the state’s weekly statistics update released Friday.

The county’s positivity rate, or the percentage of diagnostic tests yielding positive results, also rose to 17.7% in the week ending Thursday.

The county’s rate was 16.2% two weeks ago (Nov. 27 to Dec. 3) and has been steadily rising.

For context, the county’s rate was 1.5% when the state launched the weekly early warning dashboard the end of June. The report is posted at www.health.pa.gov.

All 67 counties in the state now have a positivity rate above 5%, which the state deems “concerning.”

Two weeks ago, nine counties had rates above 20%. The new report shows 17 counties have now reached that benchmark, including neighboring Schuylkill County, which is at 21.5%.

Statewide, the positivity rate was 16.2% this week, compared to 14.5% two weeks ago and 4% when the dashboard went live the end of June.

County cases

Luzerne County added 1,566 new confirmed COVID-19 cases this week — an increase of 225 from the previous week’s 1,341 new cases.

As a result, the county’s incidence rate, or number of cases per 100,000 residents, rose from 422.2 two weeks ago to 493 this week.

One positive trend: a reduction in hospitalized county residents requiring ventilators. The average daily number is 5.4 compared to 7.7 two weeks ago and 12.4 three weeks ago.

Based on the latest numbers, county school districts will remain in the highest classification of “substantial” community transmission in which remote-only learning is recommended by the state.

The substantial level is reached when the incidence rate is 100 or above or the positivity rate is 10% or higher — benchmarks both currently exceeded in the county.

Based on data from two weeks ago, all but one of the 67 counties — Cameron — were in the substantial level, a state release said.

The state’s early warning update also includes a fifth benchmark — the percentage of hospital visits due to coronavirus-like illnesses — which remained at 0.5% in the county over the two weeks.

County deaths are now at 348.

Among the latest victims were a 45-year-old woman from Dupont, according to the latest report released by county Manager C. David Pedri Friday.

Statewide numbers

In addition to the positivity rate, overall cases, hospitalizations and ventilator use increased statewide this week.

There were 60,412 additional cases statewide this week, or 9,835 more than the prior week’s 50,577 new cases.

With that increase, the statewide cases per 100,000 rose from 394.9 to 471.7.

Other statewide benchmark updates:

• Average daily hospitalizations rose from 4,759.4 to 5,547.4.

• The daily average number of patients on ventilators jumped from 530.1 to 633.4.

• The percentage of hospital visits due to coronavirus-like illnesses decreased from 1.7% to 1.5%.

In a release about the dashboard earlier this week, Gov. Tom Wolf said mitigation steps are necessary to prevent the health system from “being overrun.”

”We are approaching that point, which is why we need all Pennsylvanians to follow these measures as part of their collective responsibility to protect one another and the health system,” Wolf said.

State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said models continue to point to “very concerning trends for our hospital availability and ICU bed availability.”

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.