Carbon, Lehigh and Schuylkill counties are listed in the substantial range on the CDC tracker. Monroe and Northampton counties are listed as high transmission.

There are four levels of COVID-19 community transmission: low, moderate, substantial and high. Low is reflected by having 0 to 10 new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days, moderate 10 to 49, substantial 50 to 99 and high 100 or more. The percent positivity rating is as follows: 0 to 5%, 5 to 8%, 8 to 10% and 10% or greater.

The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you live in an area with substantial or high transmission. Most of the country is classified as having high transmission. Nationally, at least 71% of adults have a dose of the vaccine.

Schuylkill County is listed as having 49.52 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rating of 5.88.

John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Coordinator, said Monday before the county he received a call from a magisterial district judge asking if there is any change in guidance from the county. He told them to call court administration on the matter.

Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin and Commissioners’ Chairman Barron “Boots” Hetherington did not return a call for comment about whether masks will be required in county offices.

Matz said with school starting soon they will have to continue to address how they want to provide for the safety of staff and students.

The spread of the virus is concerning.

“We don’t want to go through that again,” he said of last spring.

Mike Peckman, director of marketing and public affairs for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, said with the virus still present masks are still required at all LVHN facilities, both inpatient and outpatient.

With the substantial transmission status declared earlier, Dr. Alex Benjamin, the Chief of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology for LVHN, said, “The best line of defense is for people to be vaccinated. Clinics are held regularly throughout our service area.”

He said almost all of the people tested recently for the virus have the delta variant. He said “80 to 90%” of patients currently admitted for COVID-19 within the health network are unvaccinated.

“We strongly encourage unvaccinated individuals to seek vaccination,” he said.

Those exposed to the virus should be tested. Results are possible within 24 hours, he said.

More than 11 million doses of the vaccine have been given statewide, the state Department of Health said Monday.

There are 1,240,032 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania to date, with 2,076 new cases reported Tuesday.

The state has a positivity rating of 5.4% for the week of July 30 to Aug 5.

As of Monday, 27,914 people have died from the virus statewide, the DOH said.