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LOCK HAVEN -- Weeks after Lock Haven City Council first announced the closure of city facilities to the public, among other restrictions due to high COVID-19 infection rates, the numbers continue to grow.
Six more virus cases were reported in the city's zip code -- 17745 -- on Nov. 4, according to data collected by City Manager Gregory Wilson and published on the city's website www.lockhavenpa.gov.
The current total of positive cases reported in the zip code is 152 since the outbreak first began in March. Of those, 23 are still considered active, according to the data.
As it stands, the city's 14-day incidence rate is 117.3 per 100,000, based on Nov. 4's numbers. 100 per 100,000 is considered "high risk" with 50 per 100,000 classified at "moderate to high risk."
Back in early September the city began putting mitigations in place in an effort to avoid overwhelming the local healthcare system. This included city owned facilities and playgrounds being closed with green spaces open, but gatherings restricted to 25 people or less.
These regulations were put in place via the city's Declaration of Emergency which was first enacted in March.
On Sept. 23, due to another spike in cases, Mayor Joel Long amended the declaration to include closing public ball fields and city owned parks, and a moratorium was placed on the use of city owned parks and public property for gatherings and events.
Those changes would be in place until the city's incidence rate went below the "high risk" of 100 per 100,000 for 14 days in a row. The closure of city facilities would stay until the incidence rate dipped below 50 per 100,000.
But that hasn't happened.
Lock Haven's zip code isn't the only area in the county that has seen a high incidence rate. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Mill Hall's zip code -- 17751 -- has a rate of 127 per 100,000 and Beech Creek -- 16822 -- has a rate of 284 per 100,000.
As of Thursday, 58 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Mill Hall since the outbreak began. Of those, 44 are considered confirmed and 14 probable with 879 negatives, the department of health said.
In Beech Creek, 20 people have tested positive for the virus with 287 testing negative.