Butler County recorded COVID-19 deaths for the 11th straight day Thursday, the same day state officials announced using pharmacists in future vaccine distributions.

According to Thursday's report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, six more Butler County residents died due to COVID-19 and 58 more residents were listed as new confirmed cases.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,486 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 271 residents have died from the virus.

According to the report, 7,175 new confirmed cases were added statewide Thursday, along with the death of 313 residents.

As the pandemic continues, state officials have focused on the distribution of two federally-approved vaccines, produced by both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

“We are working on ways to increase access to the vaccine, and pharmacists already play an important role in making sure Pennsylvanians are protected,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine in a joint news release Thursday with the Department of State.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday approved a temporary waiver that allows pharmacists licensed by the Department of State to order and administer the COVID-19 vaccines without a physician's order, but only when the vaccines are available to the public.

In separate correspondence Thursday, Ellen Lyon, a spokeswoman for the Department of State, said pharmacists will be able to administer the vaccine throughout any part or phase of vaccine distribution without the need for an order from a doctor. She said while this gives pharmacists more freedom, it does not supersede the state's distribution plans.

“They will follow the vaccination plan provided by the Department of Health, which means they will provide vaccines to people based on the phase identified by the Department of Health,” Lyon said.

The Department of Health has a distribution plan that breaks groups of specifically identified people into three parts of Phase 1 with the general public being Phase 2, the final phase.

State officials are optimistic that having pharmacists part of administering the vaccine will expand options for those seeking the vaccine when it's their turn.

“Many Pennsylvanians will go to their local pharmacy for vaccination,” said Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar in the release. “Pharmacists as well as pharmacy interns and technicians are critical partners in the commonwealth's plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Through Wednesday, 373,529 doses of the vaccine have been administered in Pennsylvania. This includes 269,279 people who have received one dose and 52,125 people who have received two doses. In Butler County, 4,943 residents have received one dose, while 1,011 have received two doses.