The state is urging college students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect family and friends before returning home for summer break.

Students should get vaccinated before the semester ends and they return home, Pennsylvania Department of Health Acting Physician General Denise Johnson said Monday.

“We are encouraging students to take advantage of local vaccination sites on or near their college campus so they can protect themselves, their families, friends and loved ones from COVID-19 before returning home at the end of the semester,” Johnson said. “Our need to get people vaccinated is a race against the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, some of which are extremely contagious. We need to vaccinate all Pennsylvanians to prevent the further spread of this virus.”

From the weekend and Monday, the health department reported 128 new cases of the coronavirus in the county and 7,481 statewide, raising the county total to 10,715 and the state total to 1,158,486.

Butler Memorial Hospital is treating eight COVID-19 patients, including three in the intensive care unit.

Across the state, 2,161 people are hospitalized, including 479 in intensive care. The 14-day average number of people hospitalized per day is starting to decrease, after peaking at 2,661, which is slightly below what it was at the height of the spring 2020 peak of 2,751 patients.

In nursing and personal care homes, 70,763 residents and 14,811 employees have COVID-19. Of the deaths in the state, 13,111 have been residents of nursing or personal care facilities.

About 27,739 of the cases in the state are among health care workers.

The 23 new deaths in the state and one new death in the county raises the state total to 26,276.

A moving average of 88,000 people across the state are getting vaccinated everyday, and 3,548,102 people are fully vaccinated.

A total of 8,684,978 doses of vaccine have been administered, including 5,427,753 first and single doses and 3,548,102 second doses.

In the county, 21,671 people are partially vaccinated and 64,630 people are fully vaccinated.

The Butler Health System said all residents ages 16 and older can sign up for vaccinations, and should do so because the coronavirus continues to spread in the community. Appointments can be scheduled at www.butlerhealthsystem.org. BHS is also accepting walk-ins at its vaccine clinics at the Clearview Mall and Clarion Hospital.

The following numbers on the coronavirus pandemic were compiled from regular news releases from the state Department of Health and the Butler Health System.COVID-19 statistics from Saturday, Sunday Monday are:<b>Butler County</b>Confirmed cases: 10,715Probable cases: 6,145Negative tests: 51,670Deaths: 406<b>Butler Memorial Hospital</b>Inpatients: 8Suspected: 0Confirmed: 8ICU: 3Total tests: 46,722Outdoor tests: 17,988Positive tests: 3,626<b>Clarion Hospital</b>Inpatients: 3Suspected: 0Confirmed: 3ICU: 1Total tests: 13,113Outdoor tests: 11,100Positive tests: 2,112<b>Pennsylvania</b>New cases: 7,481Total cases: 1,158,486New deaths: 58Total deaths: 26,276Recovered: 89%<b>Surrounding Counties</b>Allegheny: 74,386 confirmed cases; 404,727 negative; and 1,901 deathsArmstrong: 4,549 confirmed; 16,646 negative; and 131 deathsBeaver: 12,094 confirmed; 50,833 negative; and 376 deathsClarion: 1,989 confirmed; 8,799 negative; and 91 deathsLawrence: 5,288 confirmed; 20,029 negative; and 205 deathsMercer: 7,174 confirmed; 29,778 negative; and 254 deathsVenango: 3,001 confirmed; 11,522 negative; and 93 deathsWestmoreland: 22,228 confirmed; 96,167 negative; and 746 deaths