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56 New COVID-19 Deaths Last Week In Bucks County

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By

Tom Sofield
Medical staff work with a patient during the pandemic in December.

Bucks County saw his highest number of COVID-19 deaths last week, the highest since mid-May.

Last week, Bucks County lost 56 residents who had COVID-19, a 24 percent increase over the prior week, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data.

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Since the month began, 116 deaths of Bucks Countians with COVID-19 have been reported.

With the recent spike in cases and hospitalizations, December has already become the third-deadliest month since the pandemic started having impacts in Bucks County in March. There were 280 COVID-19 deaths in the county in April and 253 deaths in May.

While deaths increased over the past week, the number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases began to drop.

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The county saw 2,645 new COVID-19 cases last week, a decrease of 22 percent from the prior week that set the record at 3,374 cases, according to state data.

Last week, Bucks County’s COVID-19 test positivity rate declines from 17.7 percent to 16.4 percent. A positivity rate higher than 5 percent is considered concerning by medical experts.

“Our cases have now clearly stabilized, and even dropped, from the peak of the surge,” Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker said in a statement. “Usually deaths and hospitalizations follow the same trend soon after.”

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As of late Monday night, there were 178 Bucks Countians in hospitals, 36 in intensive care, and 35 on ventilators. Of about staffed 90 intensive care beds in the county, 23 remained open.

Since the pandemic began, the county has confirmed 25,930 COVID-19 cases and 846 deaths.

Ways residents can help reduce the spread of COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
  • Wear a mask properly when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
  • Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
  • Clean surfaces frequently.
  • Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
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Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield has covered news in Bucks County for 16 years for both newspaper and online publications. Tom’s reporting has appeared locally, nationally, and internationally across several mediums. He is proud to report on news in the county where he lives and to have created a reliable publication that the community deserves.