Butler Health System received its shipment of COVID-19 vaccines on the same day its administration sent out a video tribute praising its staff.

BHS officials confirmed that both Butler Memorial and Clarion hospitals received their shipments of the vaccine. Health care workers at both hospitals, especially those working closest to the virus, will receive the non-mandatory vaccine starting Friday.

In addition to the vaccine, the staff at BHS also received a video tribute narrated by CEO Ken DeFurio, showing photos and videos of the staff working in various capacities throughout the pandemic.

“You continue to weather the storm and keep your chin up,” he said. “We are so proud of you.”

On Wednesday, BHS had reported continued high levels of hospitalizations with 52 inpatients at Butler Memorial Hospital and 19 at Clarion Hospital.

Similarly, the statewide data reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health showed a continued high hospitalization rate, including 6,346 patients with 1,238 in intensive-care units.

The state also reported Thursday the addition of 224 new deaths statewide because of COVID-19 and 9,966 residents testing positive for the virus.

Three Butler County residents were among those losses Thursday, and county residents accounted for 92 of the state's new cases.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine used the high numbers of both cases and deaths as proof that mitigation efforts imposed last week were needed.

“While we are at the start of the road out of this pandemic, our light at the end of the tunnel, the path is long and will take time,” she said. “In the meantime, we absolutely cannot afford to overwhelm our hospitals any further.”

The “light” to which Levine referred was the vaccines. BHS was one of many hospitals to receive shipments Thursday with the Department of Health on track for delivering all 97,500 doses by the end of the week, despite the winter storm Wednesday.

“In the first 3½ days of this effort, things are moving smoothly in Pennsylvania,” Levine said.

She warned again that the vaccines will not be an immediate solution for the pandemic.

“This is really an enormous undertaking,” she said. “This is going to take time to get to everyone.”

The Department of Health is expecting another shipment of the Pfizer vaccine next week. If the Moderna vaccine passes both U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approvals, it might also be distributed as early as next week.

Levine said the Moderna vaccine, because of less-strict refrigeration needs, would likely be directed to hospitals in rural areas for the vaccination of their front-line workers.

By the end of next week, the Department of Health is preparing to shift to the next part of its distribution plan's first phase.

Starting Dec. 28, seniors living in senior homes and communal living settings as well as the workers in those buildings will begin receiving vaccine distribution through the pharmaceutical companies partnered with the federal government, such as CVS and Walgreens.

Other seniors, such as those living independently or with family members, will be included in the second phase, which also includes other at-risk communities and populations. The general public will be able to receive vaccinations in the third phase.

“I can't tell you exactly when that's going to happen,” Levine said. “It really very much depends upon the production and manufacturing capabilities of the pharmaceutical companies and how much vaccine we get.”

Levine said her best “educated guess” for the third phase would be in late spring or summer.

In response to questions from reporters, Levine also responded to the recent development that Pfizer vials are found to contain extra doses of the vaccine. Levine said some reports note there are six or more doses in a vial, when there should be five.

Levine said she received new information from the FDA that the extra doses are usable, but with one contingency. The extra vaccine in a vial must form its own complete dose, and it cannot be mixed with extra product from other vials to form that one dose.

“If they have enough for another shot in the vial, the recommendation from the FDA is to use it,” she said. “That is very good information because then we can immunize more people.”

Levine said as the Department of Health continues to work through its network and vaccinate people, it is vital for people to continue to follow mitigation practices.

The practices include wearing a mask, social distancing and practicing proper hygiene. She said this includes refraining from holiday travel and gatherings, which she cited as the main cause for the uptick in cases and deaths seen in recent weeks, stemming from Thanksgiving. “I think it's critically important, as we approach Christmas and New Year's, that people really listen to the messages we're putting out there,” Levine said. “I think it's critical that people stay home.”