Pennsylvania is “winning” the race to contain a recent spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations thanks to its accelerating vaccine rollout, the governor said Wednesday, as state officials sought to address what they view as the pandemic’s next big challenge — persuading stragglers to get the shot.

The Wolf administration is pushing people to get inoculated against the coronavirus, saying vaccines will be what end the pandemic, and has so far shown little appetite for new mitigation measures to address the latest surge in infections and hospitalizations.

“It’s a race between the vaccine and the upsurge, this fourth upsurge, and I think the vaccine is winning,” Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday outside Bethlehem Baptist Church in McKeesport, which will host a community vaccine clinic operated by the Allegheny County Health Department.

Pennsylvania this week eased restrictions on bar seating, restaurant capacity and indoor and outdoor events, even though the state — along with New York, Michigan, Florida and New Jersey — accounted for nearly half of the nation’s reported infections over a recent seven-day reporting period.