Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.
The dashboard is designed to provide early warning signs of factors that affect the state’s mitigation efforts. The data available on the early warning monitoring dashboard includes week-over-week case differences, incidence rates, test percent positivity, and rates of hospitalizations, ventilations and emergency room visits tied to COVID-19. This week’s update compares the period of Aug. 21-27 to the previous seven days, Aug. 14-20.
“Our percent positivity decreased again this week, representing the fifth straight week that the percent positivity has decreased,” Wolf said. “This is a testament that our actions are working, but we still have more work to do. The virus is still circulating, and we must continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings to keep our numbers low, stop the spread and allow more freedom.”
As of Thursday, Aug. 27, the state has seen a seven-day increase of 4,165; the previous seven-day increase was 4,518, indicating a 353-case decrease across the state over the past week.
The statewide percent positivity went down to 3.2 percent from 3.4 percent last week.
In Bucks County, COVID-19 statistics remain at a steady level, averaging 23 new cases per day. That positive news was countered by the reported death two weeks ago of a 32-year-old who had no known preexisting health conditions. The Bucks County Health Department reported that the man, who died Aug. 13, had been hospitalized outside of the county with COVID-19 complications since mid-July.
Bucks County is in the “moderate” level of transmission, as determined by the state Department of Health.
Also, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations, originally announced on July 2, to add Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. No states were removed from the list.
