Bucks County is averaging less than 200 new COVID-19 infections daily for the first time since early November, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health last week. The county’s number of COVID deaths and hospitalizations also fell last week to levels not seen since 2020.
After a one-week spike in cases fueled by backlogged test results, the county’s new COVID cases decreased by 35 percent from Jan. 31-Feb. 6. The state reported 1,404 new infections among Bucks County residents last week, down from 2,168 the week before.
The rolling, seven-day average of new cases dropped to 197 per day, a dramatic reduction from the previous week’s seven-day average of 307 per day. Through Saturday, 41,497 cases had been reported in Bucks County, a pandemic total that has more than doubled in the past two months.
Weekly COVID deaths continue to be in double digits, as the state reported the loss of 19 more Bucks County residents who were infected with the virus. It was, however, the fewest weekly deaths reported since the first week of December. A total of 1,056 COVID-related deaths have occurred in Bucks County. Of those, 119 happened in January, making it the fourth-deadliest month of the 11-month pandemic.
Hospitalizations also took a downward turn. The week ended with fewer than 100 COVID patients in Bucks hospitals for the first time since mid-December. Ninety-six patients were hospitalized on Saturday, 26 of them in intensive care, and 12 of those on ventilators. Thirty percent of the county’s adult ICU beds were available, and 27 percent of adult medical surgical beds.
Bucks County’s positive news was in keeping with the rest of Pennsylvania. The state health department on Thursday reported that statewide hospitalizations dropped in 14 of the previous 15 days, and that Pennsylvania’s seven-day average of new cases was at its lowest since Nov. 14.
Bucks County’s test positivity rate notched up slightly from 10.4 percent to 10.6 percent.
The county, like the rest of the state, continues preparing to ramp up its vaccination program in the face of still-meager supplies of vaccine.
In Bucks County, 8,543 total doses were administered last week – 5,633 of them first-round injections, and 2,910 second injections. The vaccinations included 1,633 administered last week at the limited, appointment-only vaccination clinic run by the Bucks County Health Department for EMS workers and healthcare providers who are not affiliated with hospitals and are unable to obtain vaccines elsewhere. About 6,600 injections have been given over the past three weeks at the county-run clinic, which was limited to three days last week because of snow closings.
Countywide, 31,869 people had been partially vaccinated in Bucks through Saturday, the fourth-highest county total in the state. An additional 11,153 people have been fully vaccinated with two shots, the fifth-highest county total in Pennsylvania.
The state health department reported that 12,050 doses of vaccine were sent to Bucks County last week, for a total of 75,600 doses over the past eight weeks. Of those, 54,175 were reported to have been administered.
Statewide, more than 600,000 people have received partial vaccinations and more than 190,000 have received full vaccinations in counties other than Philadelphia, which has its own reporting system.
Medical facilities in Bucks and across the state continue to receive doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as Pennsylvania remains in the 1A phase of the vaccine rollout, which includes healthcare providers, long-term care residents and staff, EMS workers, anyone age 16 and over with a serious medical condition, and all adults age 65 and over.
Pre-registrations for vaccinations continue to be offered on the county’s Coronavirus Vaccine Information page. Approximately 200,000 Bucks County residents and business owners have already pre-registered. Those who pre-register will receive an email from the county health department with further information and instructions.
The amount of vaccine being sent to each county continues to be reserved for Phase 1A recipients. According to state reports, Bucks County’s 76,500 doses have been distributed by the state health department to 39 approved providers in Bucks County, with the largest amounts going to hospitals and the Bucks County Health Department.
Visit covid19-bucksgis.hub.arcgis.com/ for more information.
