The record covid-19 spike striking Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation hit Bucks County last week, though not as hard as much of the rest of the state.
The county’s case count increased by about 18 per day from Oct. 18 to 24 to a total of 383, an average of about 55 new cases per day. Such numbers have not been seen in Bucks since May, but they have not begun to approach the record levels seen nationwide or statewide in the past week.
Pennsylvania posted three straight days of more than 2,000 new covid-19 cases last week, including a record-setting 2,219 on Friday. The positivity rate for people tested for coronavirus rose to 5 percent from 4.2 percent the week before.
Bucks County’s hospitalizations remained low last week, with 14 residents hospitalized, two in critical condition and on ventilators. Also encouraging was the county’s relatively low 3.3 percent positivity rate.
While 30 of Pennsylvania’s counties posted positivity rates that state officials labeled “concerning,” Bucks was not among them, and its rate of transmission was considered “moderate.”
One Bucks County death was reported: a 57-year-old man with a history of underlying health conditions.
Household spread and social gatherings with friends and family continued to rise last week, as it has for several weeks running, accounting for 49 percent of last week’s new cases. Infections attributed to community spread also rose, reaching 22 percent of the weekly total.
“Despite seeing case increases, deaths and serious illnesses remain low. That’s the good news,” said Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker. “However, people continue to attend parties and other social gatherings where masks and social distancing seem to disappear. This accounts for many of our additional cases.
“While we understand there is some COVID ‘fatigue’, let’s not forget that anyone with whom you come into contact may have the virus,” he added.
Fourteen of last week’s Bucks County cases were delayed reports no longer considered to be infectious, the health department reported.
Of the 383 cases in Bucks, 187 were traced to household contacts, 83 to community spread, 32 to out-of-state travel, and 17 to workplace infections. Eleven are residents or employees of long-term care facilities, nine are healthcare workers, and 44 were unable to be interviewed in full.
Mel I’m disappointed you should know better. Risk is literally zero for these kids. If they live with grandparents or at risk people….protect those people. At least New Hope administrators seem to be paying attention to the science when it comes to sports.. School is another story. I thank God my son and his friends have had human interaction with their friends in football the last 3 months. And I worry about other kids locked in their rooms. I happen to know first hand that depression and drug abuse is a huge problem with teens thanks to this Covid shutdown idiocy.
Last Friday, Oct.23rd, I was watching A New Hope Solebury High School home football game wherein throughout the 2.5 hour game the 40 or so players who were not in the game were moving together on the sidelines like Siamese twins and obviously no face masks.
As the players on the field were moving up the field, the “Herd” on the sidelines moved up the field.
As the players on the field were moving down the field, the “Herd “on the sidelines moved down the field. Contrast this with the people in the stands who were for the most part sitting 6 feet apart wearing masks.
Is there a problem getting the players to sit on benches at least a few feet apart? This is a question we should pose to the superintendent who was in attendance. Apparently Everything was okay with him.