Mar 17, 2021 2 min read

Seven new COVID-19 deaths were reported Tuesday in Fayette County, bringing its death toll from the virus to 280.

There were no new virus deaths reported in Washington, Allegheny or Greene counties as more COVID-19 vaccines rolled into the state this week, the state Health Department said.

The state’s acting health secretary, Alison Beam, announced an updated order setting March 31 as the date by which providers should have vaccines scheduled for everyone in the 1A eligibility group who wishes to get vaccinated.

The order, which went into effect Tuesday, also requires providers to make appointments available to those outside of their current patient network.

“This order requires vaccine providers to use all reasonable efforts to meet this goal by the end of the month,” Beam said. “Providers also are encouraged to consider other barriers to vaccination, such as transportation issues, and tackle those so that our most vulnerable can most easily access the vaccine.

“When scheduling appointments, providers should think through an equity lens and be aware of times or days that may be easier for different populations to get their vaccination,” she said, suggesting providers consider mobile clinics.

Beam said the state will update vaccine allocation information on the Department of Health website so residents can see which providers have the vaccine, and how and where it’s being provided.

The changes were made to meet the goal of having all Pennsylvanians eligible for a vaccine as of May 1, Beam said.

Pennsylvania received 278,670 first doses of the vaccines this week, a number that was 25,000 higher than it was the prior week, said Lindsey Mauldin, a senior adviser at the department.

The state was still focusing on the 1A eligibility category for the vaccines, but it expects to “move quickly” through the 1B and 1C list, Mauldin said during a virtual briefing Tuesday morning.

She said tens of thousands of other doses were flowing into some pharmacies under a federal contract.

To date, 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have received a first dose of the vaccines, she said.

The state reported 3,119 new virus cases Tuesday, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 970,717. The virus has killed 24,652 Pennsylvanians after 65 new deaths were reported Tuesday.

Washington County reported 63 new cases, taking its total to 14,245. Fayette’s case-count grew by 38 to 10,798.

Greene added eight new cases to its total of 2,747.