Credit: Spc. Ashleigh Maxwell/ U.S. Army
Bucks County had a large rise in hospitalizations over the past week.
Advertisements
The county’s six hospitals went from 140 COVID-19 positive patients last week to 219 as of this week. The level is nearing those seen last winter and has surpassed those from the early days of the pandemic.
As of last week, the Bucks County Health Department reported the large majority of people in the hospital with COVID-19 were unvaccinated. The most serious hospitalizations involved 80 percent or more or people being unvaccinated.
Amid the surge of the omicron variant, Bucks County reported 5,888 new infections last week, a 93 percent over the week prior, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data.
Advertisements
The county’s COVID-19 numbers have increased to figures not seen over the past years. On New Year’s Day, Bucks County tallied a record high of 1,129 cases
The COVID-19 test positivity rate in the county jumped from 13.7 percent to 22.4 percent last week. A test positivity rate higher than 5 percent means health experts consider the spread of COVID-19 uncontrolled.
Advertisements
The deaths of 10 COVID-19 patients in Bucks County were reported last week.
As COVID-19 case numbers have increased in recent weeks, county, state, and federal health officials have urged residents to get vaccinated and receive a third dose if they are eligible and have not yet done so.
There were 84,192 people who were partially vaccinated and 373,267 who were fully vaccinated in Bucks County as of Tuesday, according to state data.
Advertisements
A total of 128,211 third doses have been administered in the county since third doses and booster shots were approved in mid-August.
The three COVID-19 vaccines in use have been proven safe and effective. For more information on how to get vaccinated, click here.
Advertisements
Since the pandemic began, there have been 96,801 COVID-19 cases in Bucks County and 1,566 deaths.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
