As covid cases and hospitalizations rise in Pennsylvania, the Department of Health on Tuesday described a renewed push for expanding testing.

Despite the increase in infections, officials said the demand for testing has decreased. Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said continued testing is imperative as the virus continues to spread.

“Much of the news and attention has shifted to covid-19 vaccines, but testing is still the best way to determine your exposure to and to ultimately stop the spread of covid-19,” Beam said.

Pennsylvania on Tuesday reported 4,255 additional covid cases and 37 deaths. Total cases now stand at 1,049,655, and the death total moves to 25,237. Additionally, for the 17th consecutive day, the number of people hospitalized for covid-19 in Pennsylvania has increased, according to state data.

“We know that the number of covid-19 cases in Pennsylvania and across the country has been on the rise,” said Lindsey Mauldin, senior advisor on covid-19 response at the state Department of Health. “That’s proof the virus is still present in our communities.”

During a virtual news conference, Mauldin described the state’s partnership with the company, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, to expand testing access across the commonwealth.

The department has partnered with AMI since September 2020 for pop-up testing clinics across the state. By March, the company had deployed testing sites in 61 counties (those without local health departments). Mauldin said nearly 6,000 people were tested in the Southwestern region – a total of 41,250 patients statewide.

At the beginning of March, the department extended its contract with AMI to provide more long-term testing sites for “vulnerable populations” and short-term sites to contain the spread of covid-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been issuing emergency-use authorization for over-the-counter tests that make testing more accessible, Mauldin said. Colleges and universities have been testing students, and testing initiatives in K-12 schools will be prioritized next, she said.

Overall, Mauldin said, Pennsylvania has administered more than 14.3 million tests – including PCR and rapid antigen tests – since the beginning of the pandemic. 43.1% of results reported to the health department have been positive, she said, noting that some people may have been tested more than once.

The department’s push for increased testing comes as the state expands eligibility for the covid-19 vaccines. Phase 1B started Monday, allowing people in congregate care settings, essential workers and others to be able to make vaccine appointments.

Mauldin 24,394 Pennsylvania residents are eligible under in Phase 1B. Phase 1C, which begins next Monday, April 12, will include around 27,644, and an additional 27,806 will be eligible with Phase 2, which will start April 19 and include all Pennsylvania adults.

“Remember that eligibility does not equal immediate vaccination,” Mauldin said.

There are 235 vaccine providers across the state that are currently receiving allocations of doses from the Department of Health, in addition to 420 retail pharmacies receiving doses directly from the federal government, Mauldin said. In the last week, providers have administered an average of 86,600 doses per day.

“It’s a good sign that demand for the vaccine remains high here in Pennsylvania, because the more people who are vaccinated, the faster we can stop the virus,” she said.

Mauldin said the state received its highest weekly allocation of doses from the state to date this week: at 442,310 first doses of vaccine.

“That’s also a pretty far cry from January, when Pennsylvania was receiving about 125,000 doses of vaccine per week for more than 4 million eligible residents,” she said. “That’s why we could confidently open eligibility now.”

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