HomeBensalem TimesCOVID cases rise in PA, hospitalizations in Bucks down to three

COVID cases rise in PA, hospitalizations in Bucks down to three

Increases in Bucks County are attributed to college students and social gatherings

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. 28-Sept. 3 to the previous seven days, Aug. 21-27.

As of Thursday, Sept. 3, the state has seen a seven-day increase of 5,453; the previous seven-day increase was 4,188, indicating a 1,265-case increase across the state over the past week. The statewide percent-positivity went up to 4.0 percent from 3.2 percent last week.

“Our percent-positivity increased significantly this week, a sign that this virus is still affecting Pennsylvanians,” Wolf said. “We must continue our focus on taking actions to protect ourselves and others, such as wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding large gatherings. Together, Pennsylvanians can work to prevent the spread of the virus.”

In Bucks County, residents hospitalized for COVID-19 dropped to three, unaffected by a 53 percent spike in new infections last week. This hospitalization number is the lowest the county has seen since March 16, when there were also three infections, said Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker. Of those who are hospitalized, two are in critical condition and on ventilators.

Last week’s total of 244 new cases increased the county’s daily average to 35 new cases per day, compared to 23 the week before. Damsker attributed much of the increase to college students and social gatherings.

“College students, their friends, and related family member cases have caused our numbers to go up somewhat over the past week or so. The infections weren’t from classroom exposures, but from the social gatherings on and off campus,” he said. “Friends and family members can and do have COVID, so take the additional precautions even with familiar people.”

If college students from Bucks County are infected somewhere else and return home to convalesce, the numbers are added to Bucks County’s total, Damsker said. If they attend school outside the county and stay there while recovering, they are not included in the county’s numbers.

“Our hospitalizations have continued to fall to almost zero,” Damsker said. “While we must continue to practice good hygiene, wear our masks and be additionally cautious around vulnerable populations, people should be very optimistic about where we are right now.

“The majority of our hospitals have no COVID patients, and almost all cases are very mild. That is by far the most important metric in Bucks right now, regardless of some who prefer to focus solely on case counts.”

Bucks County now has had 7,591 residents test positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic. A total of 522 deaths have been attributed to the virus, including 413 long-term care residents, while 6,650 are confirmed to have recovered.

Additionally, the Department of Health updated its travel recommendations to remove California, and add North Carolina to the list of states recommended for domestic travelers returning from to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania.

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