Allegheny County officials encouraged residents to exercise caution over Super Bowl weekend – refraining from gathering with people outside of family members and sticking to public health guidelines.

“We ask people, again, use good common sense,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Social distance, wear your mask, avoid Super Bowl parties.”

The county’s average daily case count continues to drop – now averaging around 240 cases a day, about 50 cases less than last week. The test positivity rate is also down by nearly a full percentage point and now rests at about 6.8%. But Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said she still worries about future surges of infection.

“The safest Super Bowl parties are ones with only members of your household,” she said. “Gatherings of others outside or at the television where there will be cheering, eating, puts people at risk for spreading or catching the virus. Please stay home and enjoy the vaccine.”

Bogen said the county’s supply of vaccine continues to limit the health department and other providers from expanding distribution. But with recent announcements regarding increased allocations to states – including Pennsylvania – and the likely emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Bogen said she is hopeful the supply issue will soon be resolved.

Until then, the health department is in the process of expanding vaccine rollout, looking for additional sites and provide greater access in different communities.

“However, the health department can’t move forward with more clinics until we have more predictability in how much vaccine we are getting,” she said.

For instance, the health department currently has 14,000 vaccines allocated to set appointments over the next two weeks. But this week, the vaccine’s shipment from the state was only 1,000 doses. Bogen said it’s enough to cover the second doses the department has to give out, but doesn’t allow them to expand accessibility.

Pennsylvania currently ranks 38th among all 50 states in vaccine distribution, and the slow rollout has been a source of frustration in both community members and lawmakers. Some have criticized the state’s lack of centralized registration system, and many older residents have lamented the accessibility challenge that arises when nearly all options for vaccine registrations occur online.

“More advanced warning of what we’re getting will help all of us plan more effectively and efficiently,” Bogen said. “And the state is aware, and I know is working on this. I also think we need improvements in our registration system, which has been a challenge, and we continue to work with the state and locally on issues with registration.”

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