COVID-19 Hospitalizations in Pennsylvania – March 2020 to June 2021 – News Release


Contact: Barry Buckingham
717-232-6787 or

PHC4 Releases New COVID-19 Hospitalization Data and Mortality Findings

Harrisburg, PA - March 3, 2022 - PHC4 has released COVID-19 hospitalization data for the sixteen-month period March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. During those months, there were 120,329 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania hospitals. Pennsylvania residents were hospitalized at a rate of 91.5 hospitalizations per 10,000 residents in this period. More than half (53%) of these admissions occurred in the period from November 2020 through February 2021. There were peaks in admissions in the following months: April 2020 (8,391), December 2020 (24,506), and April 2021 (10,641).

While in the hospital, 10.2% of the patients required mechanical ventilation and 12.3% of patients died; 14.9% of the patients were readmitted within 30 days. The average length of stay was 8.1 days.

In looking at the effects of age on the rate of COVID-19 hospitalization, older residents consistently had higher hospitalization rates across the sixteen-month period. In examining differences by race and ethnicity, the highest hospitalization rates were found consistently among Black, non-Hispanic patients across this time frame.

For in-hospital mortality rates, older patients tended to have higher rates (a few exceptions were noted), but differences by race and ethnicity were not always consistent.

“Results from today’s release continue to provide important information about COVID-19,” said Barry Buckingham, PHC4’s Executive Director. “PHC4’s hospitalization data will help detail the effects on hospital admissions and mortality as we look at future quarters of data,” added Buckingham.

Findings from today’s release are available on PHC4’s website at www.phc4.org.

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PHC4 is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania.