People fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can visit vaccinated people and low-risk families without wearing face masks, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Monday.

Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam amended the existing Universal Face Coverings order issued in November 2020 to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for activities that fully vaccinated people can resume at low risk to themselves while being mindful of the potential risk of transmitting the virus to others.

The amended order says fully vaccinated people can visit other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing, visit unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing and don't have to quarantine or get tested following a known exposure, if asymptomatic.

“Research has shown that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. However, there is still more to learn about how long protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against new variants of the virus, so some prevention measures will continue to be in place for all people, regardless of their vaccination status,” Beam said.

As of March 17, Butler Health System fully vaccinated 37,782 people and administered 58,215 doses of vaccine. BHS said it has open vaccine appointments and distributes a vaccine as soon as possible after receiving it.

In the county, 23,138 people are partially vaccinated and 31,711 people are fully vaccinated, according to the health department.

Statewide, a total of 4,311,118 doses of vaccine have been administered, 1,529,898 people are fully vaccinated and 2,884,556 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.

Over the weekend and Monday, the health department reported a total of 8,133 new cases, raising the statewide total to 988,435, and 48 new deaths, bringing the total to 24,789 since the beginning of the pandemic.

In the county, 31 new cases raises the total to 9,354, and one new death raises the total to 381.

The number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus is 1,554, including 320 people in intensive care. The 14-day average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 4,600 lower than it was at the peak in December 2020 and below what it was at the height of the spring peak in May 2020. However, the decrease in hospitalized patients has stalled.

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 and Monday are:<b>Butler County</b>Confirmed cases: 9,354Probable cases: 5,354Negative tests: 47,936Deaths: 382<b>Butler Memorial Hospital</b>Inpatients: 16Suspected: 5Confirmed: 11ICU: 6Total tests: 42,101Outdoor tests: 16,937Positive tests: 2,847<b>Clarion Hospital</b>Inpatients: 2Suspected: 0Confirmed: 2ICU: 0Total tests: 12,366Outdoor tests: 10,477Positive tests: 1,964<b>Pennsylvania</b>New cases: 8,133Total cases: 988,435New deaths: 48Total deaths: 24,789Recovered: 92%<b>Surrounding Counties</b>Allegheny: 63,486 confirmed cases; 373,261 negative; and 1,780 deathsArmstrong: 3,964 confirmed; 15,363 negative; and 118 deathsBeaver: 10,686 confirmed; 46,902 negative; and 355 deathsClarion: 1,772 confirmed; 8,233 negative; and 87 deathsLawrence: 4,762 confirmed; 18,730 negative; and 193 deathsMercer: 6.663 confirmed; 27,794 negative; and 245 deathsVenango: 2,802 confirmed; 10,851 negative; and 89 deathsWestmoreland: 19,678 confirmed; 89,658 negative; and 698 deaths