Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, said the state has reported more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 for the ninth day in a row.

She said the state has entered the fall resurgence, but there are no plans at this time to have any lockdowns.

“While we are working to expand testing, prepare for a vaccine and prevent outbreaks, Pennsylvanians have an important role to play. We must be united by wearing a mask, washing our hands, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings, downloading the COVID Alert PA mobile app and getting a flu vaccine,” Levine said in a news conference Wednesday morning.

Wednesday, there were 1,276 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 175,922.

There are 8,411 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 27 new deaths reported.

Levine said more people are getting tested, nearly 30,000 tests a day. There are more cases, and the hospitalization rate has doubled in the last month, Levine said.

Carbon County is reporting 521 cases, an increase of two new cases. Deaths attributed to COVID-19 remain at 29.

Lehigh County is reporting 6,023 cases, an increase of 24. Two additional deaths have been reported for a total of 361.

Luzerne County reported an increase of 42 cases, bringing the total to 4,496. Deaths remain at 190.

Monroe County has nine new cases, bringing the total to 1,893, with 134 deaths.

Northampton County has 4,905 cases, an increase of 22 cases. There are 309 deaths.

Schuylkill County has 1,457 cases, an increase of 21. Three additional deaths have been reported for a total of 68 deaths.

The Wolf Administration today began distributing the first allotment of 250,000 COVID-19 antigen test kits provided by the federal government to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified institutions across Pennsylvania.

Distribution is starting with Bradford, Centre, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Snyder counties because of the recent high disease incidence rate in these areas.

“Antigen test cards are a timely, quick and easy-to-use tool for communities to receive rapid COVID-19 testing,” Levine said. “These test kits, provided by the federal government and being distributed to areas in need by the Wolf Administration, will further help communities struggling with the spread of COVID-19. Antigen tests look for pieces of proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, and are another tool in our testing tool kit to help quickly identify cases.”

The department anticipates receiving hundreds of thousands of tests over a number of weeks from the federal government and will then be providing those kits to counties in need. These test kits are separate from and in addition to the ones being provided by the federal government directly to skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes and historically black colleges and universities.

CLIA-certified sites currently include: Long-term care facilities; personal care homes and assisted living/intermediate care facilities; higher-education institutions; drug and alcohol and behavioral health treatment centers; state and county correctional facilities; health care providers: federally qualified health centers; urgent care centers; pharmacies and primary care doctors.

The targeted populations will be tested at CLIA-certified sites that directly receive these test kits and can provide timely test results and health care advice to individuals being tested.

Targeted populations include: individuals in congregate care settings; day care workers or clients;

K-12 students and adults who work in K-12 settings; college and university students;

people without permanent housing; food distribution facility employees; food workers, and

first responders.

Today the Secretary of Health also issued an order to laboratories, health care practitioners, health care providers and facilities reinforcing that all antigen test results, both positive and negative, are required to be reported to the Department of Health via its reporting system, PA-NEDSS.

A patient with a positive antigen test result is considered a case and receives a complete case investigation and contact tracing. All entities conducting testing to identify SARS-CoV-2 are required by law to report positive, inconclusive/indeterminate, and negative results to PA-NEDSS within 24 hours. All laboratory reporters must request a PA-NEDSS account if they do not already have one.