A few positive signs are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number of cases and deaths remains high.

The statewide recovery rate has inched up from 61% last week to 64% Monday and the positivity rate decreased slightly from 16.2% three weeks ago to 15.1% Monday.

However, 1,145 of the 5,905 people hospitalized across the state due to the coronavirus are in intensive care and 747 of them are on ventilators, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday.

Levine said the number of cases among youth between the ages of 5 and 18 increased by 12,873 last week to a total of 57,163.

The health department reported 7,174 new cases Saturday, 4,884 on Sunday and 3,779 on Monday, bringing the statewide total to 613,804.

The death toll from the virus continues to climb. Department reports show 26 new deaths on Christmas, 127 on Saturday and 76 Sunday and a total of 15,086.

The trend in the 14-day moving average of number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 5,600 since the end of September. That number was 4,900 two weeks ago.

In Butler County, the number of confirmed cases rose to 6,007 and the number of deaths reached 174 on Monday.

Butler Memorial Hospital reported that five people died between Dec. 23 and 27. One person died Dec. 23, two people died Christmas Day, one person died Dec. 26 and another death occurred Dec. 27.

The hospital also reported it is treating 59 COVID-19 patients, including eight in the intensive care unit.

Clarion Hospital, also part of the Butler Health System, reported one death Dec. 23 and another Dec. 28. The hospital is treating eight people with confirmed cases, including one patient in the ICU.

The Federal Pharmacy Partnership began Monday with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies delivering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to residents and staff of nursing homes, Levine said.

CVS will administer vaccinations at 120 nursing homes across the state and Walgreens will vaccinate residents of six facilities, she said.

The pharmacies will select the facilities through the federal Operation Warp Speed program, a partnership of federal departments and agencies that oversees the production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The number of doses provided to Pennsylvania is also determined by the program, Levine said.

Personal care homes, assisted living facilities, adult residential treatment facilities and private care facilities for people with developmental disabilities will receive the next round of vaccinations from the pharmacies, Levine added.

In nursing and personal care homes, 51,420 residents and 9,219 employees at 1,457 distinct facilities in all 67 counties have the virus. Out of the total deaths in the state, 8,470 have been nursing or personal care home residents, according to the department.

As of Monday morning, 72,762 health care workers had been vaccinated, and 58 hospitals will receive the vaccine this week. The hospitals will receive 47,475 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 26,100 doses of the Moderna vaccine, Levine said.

People should continue wearing face masks, washing hands, social distancing and avoiding small and large gatherings to help stop the virus, she said.

“As we approach New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, we cannot let our guard down. We must stay the course and continue to work together and stand united to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Levine said.