Credit: PA Internet News Service
While surrounding areas have shown increases in COVID-19 cases, Bucks County’s infection rate remained steady last week.
The county reported 229 new cases last week and 228 cases the week before.
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The county has seen cases increase and decrease through summer and into last week. However, new case numbers and deaths have not remained as consistently high as they were in spring.
“Hospitalizations remained low, with seven county residents hospitalized with coronavirus as of Saturday, one of whom was in critical condition and on a ventilator. The county’s seven-day positivity rate dropped to 2.8 percent of those tested compared to 3.7 percent the previous week,” a statement from the county health department said.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey have reported increases in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, concerning health and government leaders in both states. The Keystone State saw several days where more than 1,000 new cases were registered last week.
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Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has noted that many new cases are among younger people.
“Younger people have mild courses of illness, and medical care has improved for those at higher risk of COVID complications,” Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker said in a statement. “Things will likely remain this way for the foreseeable future. We must continue to protect the vulnerable while using common sense to keep moving forward as a society.”
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In Bucks County, 108 of the 229 new cases last week were from household contacts, 46 were from community spread, 20 were from non-health care workplaces, 15 caught the virus during out-of-state travel, 12 were residents or staff at long-term care facilities, six were healthcare workers, one was at the county prison, and 21 patients were unable to immediately complete a full contact tracing interview.
Last week, Bucks County reported five COVID-19 deaths. It was noted in a news release that three of the patients died in September.
The five people who died ranged in age from 84 years old to 97 years old and all had underlying health conditions. Three were long-term care center residents, county health officials said.
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Since the pandemic began, 532 Bucks Countians have died due to COVID-19.
“The county’s death total was adjusted downward slightly this week after a review of the death data found several errors, such as duplicate reports,” the county said in a statement.
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Since the pandemic began and through last Saturday, 8,690 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 7,751 have recovered.
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