Last week’s count of new covid-19 infections remained identical to that of the previous week, as Bucks County added 241 cases to its total, a daily average of about 34.
No new covid deaths were reported from Sept. 20-26, and the week ended with 14 county residents hospitalized with the coronavirus, two of them in critical condition and on ventilators.
Household transmission of the virus continued to account for the largest share of new infections, about 44 percent of last week’s cases.
“We are seeing every day now that our younger and healthier populations are not getting seriously ill from this virus, which is terrific news,” said Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department. “However, we have to maintain a strong focus on limiting transmission to our senior citizens and others with high-risk medical conditions.
“Don’t go to work sick, don’t go to a party sick,” Damsker said, “and think about how your actions can impact others’ health, even if you aren’t worried about yourself.”
Statewide, the number of new infections decreased by about 9 percent, and the positivity rate dropped from 3.7 percent to 3.2 percent.
Sixteen of last week’s Bucks County cases were delayed reports no longer considered to be infectious, the health department reported.
Bucks County remains in a group of 47 Pennsylvania counties, including all of Southeast Pennsylvania, in having what the state considers a moderate level of transmission. Two counties – Centre and Indiana – were listed as having substantial transmission levels, while the rest were deemed to have low rates.
The state also updated its travel recommendations, adding Kentucky, Texas and Utah to the list of 20 states for which visitors should quarantine for two weeks after returning. Louisiana was removed from the warning list, which also includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Of the 241 cases in Bucks last week, 105 were traced to household contacts, 43 to community spread, and 18 to out-of-state travel. Thirteen are residents or employees of long-term care facilities, five are healthcare workers, five were infected in other workplaces, and 53 were unable to complete a full interview immediately.
Through Saturday, Bucks County has had 8,232 residents test positive for covid-19 during the pandemic. A total of 525 deaths have been attributed to the virus, including 413 long-term care residents, while 7,307 are confirmed to have recovered.
The median age of those who have been infected in Bucks is 50, while the median age of death is 84.
I know about the sept 16 memo. But It’s now Oct 10 and our fearless, I mean fearful, Gov Michael Keaton Wolf changed the guidance 4 days ago…250 is no longer the limit Lentz! Our facility has a capacity of a couple thousand so you can now let in 25% or 500 people. If our careerist Supt or our milk toast AD had a brain or an ounce of courage we would be able to admit more than 100 people (there are 50 football players). Covid risk is statistically ZERO percent for the player and parent demographic. When will someone show some leadership or logic? You and your ilk keep parroting “follow the science”… yeah why don’t you try doing that. Our spineless school board, led by a “part time museum curator” just mindlessly follow this ridiculous Lentz directive.
Believe it or not but on Sept. 16th the superintendent of the New Hope Solebury School District, Dr. Charles Lentz, sent out a memorandum to the community stating that at home athletic contests only parents/guardians of the players would be allowed entrance to the games.
This directive effectively prevents all grandparents and siblings of the players from enjoying the events. Each family of an athlete was given two tickets for ONLY the parents. Giving a grandparent a ticket or a younger child to take the place of a parent does NOT increase the number of people going to the game which by order of Gov. Wolf can not be more than 250.
It must be noted that ALL nine members of the school board gave their blessing to this very restrictive action by not challenging Dr.Lentz “SILENCE IS SUBMISSION “
As children go back to school and some of them come down with covid, a lot of questions will be raised in terms of informing the parents and the staff. Here are just a few. (1) If a k-5 teacher tests positive, will he inform the parents of his students or acquiesce and let the district simply send out a form letter stating that someone in the district tested positive and with the advice to practice the usual hygienic protocols?
After much soul searching a teacher who tested positive (as reported in the New York Post last March)at Brooklyn Technical High School contacted all of his students parents for a total of 170 students in his five classes. (2) What should high school teachers do? (3) What about parents whose kids test positive? Keep silent or inform the parents in their kids class?
If I were a parent my child would be given an assignment every day especially after the school sends out that form letter. “Son, was there anyone absent from your class today? Get the picture.
Tell me the mortality rate not the spike.Also the states that indicate COVID as cause of any death in their states.
Tell the Governor Wolf to open up the state let kids go back to school and stop playing politics.
Would be helpful to know how many tests were also done since there’s a 3% false positive rate. Could be different now that some nursing homes and other places have quick testers.