There is still time for unvaccinated Pennsylvanians to become immunized before the Delta Variant of COVID-19 becomes widespread in the state.

“That window will inevitably close,” Barbara Hemmendinger, a retired family medicine educator and member of the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition, said.

Over the past two weeks in the U.S., COVID-19 cases rose by 170 percent, and the surge continues to be focused primarily in the south, according to Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist with the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Dallas whom Hemmendinger frequently reads.

In the United States, 18 states currently report high rates of transmission and 14 report substantial rates of transmission, according to the CDC. Pennsylvania is one of 22 states that fall into the moderate category of transmission. No states report low rates of transmission, while the nation, as a whole, reports a substantial level of transmission.

Arkansas leads the nation with 60 daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, while Louisiana follows with 52 cases per 100,000 people, according to Jetelina. Meanwhile, Nevada leads the nation with 30 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 per 100,000 people, while Florida follows with 26 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, she said.

Hemmendinger said that hospitalizations are not an entirely accurate metric because they may occur several days or weeks after a case is detected, meaning that specific data is likely higher.

However, among the highest vaccinated states, such as Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island, hospitalizations are remaining stagnant while cases of COVID-19 are rising, Jetelina said.

Jetelina said rates of vaccination are slowly increasing to meet the threat of the Delta Variant. On July 13, for example, 339,000 doses of any vaccine were administered, while almost two weeks later on July 25, 779,000 doses were administered.

“It needs to be faster,” Hemmendinger said. “We’re going to burn through the Delta Variant one way or another, but who knows what other variants will be more serious and evade the vaccine entirely.”

This news comes as Sean Hannity of Fox News, among others, urged his supporters to seek accurate information and get vaccinated last week.

“Just like we’ve been saying, please take COVID seriously. Enough people have died. We don’t need any more deaths. Research like crazy. Talk to your doctor,” Hannity said last week. “It absolutely makes sense for many Americans to get vaccinated.”

Hemmendinger echoed his sentiments.

“It is the right thing for people to do, and it will keep more vulnerable loved ones safe, remembering that even fully vaccinated people with weak immune systems need others to protect them from viral spread primarily by getting vaccinated,” Hemmendinger said.

As of July 26, 49.1 percent of people in the United States are fully vaccinated, while Pennsylvania leads that percentage with 52.1 percent vaccination rate.

Union County leads Lycoming County’s vaccination rate 46.4 percent to 41.7 percent, while Clinton County treads behind at 34.6 percent.

On Wednesday, July 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., River Valley Health and Dental Center will provide walk-in vaccines on the first floor community room of the Williamsport YMCA. The YMCA will offer a free day pass to everyone getting vaccinated on-site, and Let’s End COVID! is offering $5 gift cards to Sheetz to those who get vaccinated on-site as well.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Aug. 12, River Valley Health and Dental Center will provide COVID-19 immunizations in Hepburn Plaza as part of its celebration of Children’s Health Day.