It’s been about a year since COVID-19 began to spread across the United States and the first case was detected in Pennsylvania.

In the months since its arrival in the nation and state, its effect has been devastating — 28.7 million cases and more than 514,000 deaths. On March 1, an additional 1,425 deaths were reported.

That being said, some progress has been taking place. The number of cases in Pennsylvania and other states continues to drop and millions of people are getting vaccinated.

Earlier this week, it was reported that 3.6 million doses have been allocated in the state so far, and 2.4 million had been administered. This includes 1.6 million first doses and more than 739,000 second doses.

State residents were also likely pleased to hear Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that some restrictions are in the process of being lifted.

Outdoor venues are now allowed to host events up to 20% of their maximum capacity, regardless of venue size, while indoor events will allow for 15% of their capacity. While we’re far from being “back to normal,” it’s a step in the right direction.

Also, the state is no longer requiring that people who travel to Pennsylvania from another state or state residents who return to Pennsylvania from another state must test negative for the virus within 72 hours before arrival.

So, yes, the fact that some restrictions are slowly being removed is a sign of improvement in our year-long battle against the pandemic.

But we are far from being out of the woods.

New strains of the virus continue to raise questions about vaccination efficacy — although there isn’t widespread evidence at this point that the vaccines can’t handle the mutations — and the upcoming spring break season for high schools and colleges has the potential to be dangerous.

If we’re not careful, we could find ourselves right back where we started, and facing the possibility of a fourth wave.

You won’t find any new advice here. Instead, we’ll reiterate that along with the lifting of restrictions in the state, basic safety requirements are still in place.

Wear a face mask to protect not only yourself and your family, but others as well. Social distance as much as possible. And, of course, continue to wash your hands regularly.

We’ve come a long way, but we’re not there yet. Keep engaging in safe practices and life will be back to some sense of normalcy before you know it.

— NCD