DR. DEBRA BOGEN

It took longer than hoped, but 70% of Pennsylvanians 18 and older are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“The commonwealth has reached a milestone in our fight against this deadly virus,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a press release, adding that the “milestone is critical to protect those not yet eligible for the vaccine, like our children under 12 years of age.

“To everyone who has gotten vaccinated, thank you. For those not yet vaccinated, please consider joining us in doing your part. Visit a vaccine provider as soon as possible.”

The announcement came on the same day Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said that although cases here are not yet falling, there is “cause for optimism.”

“We’ve reached a plateau, but we haven’t seen a drop in cases like other parts of the country,” Bogen said, adding she believes the drop in our region “should come soon.”

Just more than 126,000 people, roughly 10% of the county’s population, have tested positive for COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic.

Since Sept. 1, the county has recorded 124 deaths from COVID-19; 34 of those were people who had been fully vaccinated.

“It’s very important when you think about these data not to say, ‘Well, we have a lot of breakthrough cases.’ The vast majority of deaths really are among those people who remain unvaccinated or those who are very high risk with underlying health conditions,” Bogen said.