Four more Butler County residents have died because of COVID-19, and the number of new cases in the county again hit triple digits.

On Wednesday, Butler County added 129 new confirmed cases as well as four deaths, according to data released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Wednesday's number of new cases is the fourth time in the past seven days the county has reached more than 100 cases for a single-day addition.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,828 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 136 residents have died because of the virus.

The county's average of new cases has steadily risen since the month of November with steep increases in December. The county averaged about 56 new confirmed cases per day, which was an increase from October's average of about 16 new cases per day.

In December, the county has averaged about 96 new confirmed cases per day.

The county's trend mirrors that at the state level.

In a news release Wednesday, the Department of Health reported the state had reached 519,369 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

The state data also showed it reached double the hospitalizations in the latest fall outbreak compared to the surge in the spring.

According to Wednesday's data, 6,295 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide, with 1,264 of those inpatients being treated in intensive care units.

Butler Health System on Wednesday reported 52 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Butler Memorial Hospital and 19 COVID-19 patients at Clarion Hospital.

Butler Memorial reported the death of one patient Monday, and two patients died at Clarion Hospital Monday.

As cases and deaths continue to accumulate, the state has focused its efforts in recent weeks on vaccine distribution.On Wednesday, seven more hospitals successfully received shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.The vaccine is first being directed toward front-line health care workers before reaching other populations in the state.Hospitals in Centre, Montgomery, Blair, Allegheny, Franklin and Adams counties received vaccine doses. UPMC Mercy was the hospital in Allegheny County to receive its shipment.Butler Health System officials on Wednesday confirmed its front-line workers at both hospitals would begin receiving vaccinations Friday. On Tuesday, BHS officials said they expect their shipment Thursday.