COVID strikes vulnerable at nursing homes
Long term care residents account for 70 percent of coronavirus deaths
WEST CHESTER » More than
70 percent of people who have died from coronavirus in Chester and Delaware counties were residents of long-term care facilities, new data from the Chester County Health Department has found.
In 75 long term care facilities in Chester County, 414 people have died of coronavirus and 2,327 tested positive. There are 45 active facility outbreaks. In 62 long term care facilities in neighboring Delaware County,
716 residents have died so far from COVID-19, with 3,794 testing positive.
There are 629 employees at Chester County long term care facilities having tested positive for coronavirus, according to data from the Chester County Health Department.
To date in Chester County, 585 people have died of coronavirus, with more than 24,000 people testing positive. In Delaware County, 1,072 people have died from coronavirus since the pandemic began, with more than 33,000 people testing positive.
The following long term care centers in Chester County are reporting coronavirus cases: Brandywine Hall in West Chester, Hickory House Nursing Home in Honey Brook, Freedom Village in West Brandywine, Linden Hall, Kennett Square, Manatawny Manor in Pottstown, Powerback Rehabilitation in Phoenixville, St. Martha’s Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Downingtown, Twin Pines Healthcare Center in West Grove, Wellington Court Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Chester.
Most of those long-term care deaths in both counties are people over 80.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Friday
In 75 long term care facilities in Chester County, 414 people have died of coronavirus and 2,327 tested positive.
confirmed there were
5,664 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to
788,834.
There are 81,122 individuals in he state who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 637 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.
There are 4,882 individuals hospitalized with
COVID-19. Of that number, 889 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
The trend in the 14day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 4,500 since the end of September. Statewide percent positivity for the week of Jan. 8 to Jan. 14 stood at 12.7 percent. In Chester County, it’s just over 10 percent.
In the state so far, more than 3.5 million have tested negative for the virus.
In nursing and personal care homes, there are 60,597 resident cases of COVID-19, and 11,372 cases among employees, for a total of 71,969 at 1,525 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of our total deaths, 10,137 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities.
Chester County Health Department officials this week confirmed that vaccine supply has not increased for Pennsylvania and that the state is still receiving the same limited supply as it was in the beginning of January. Even though supply is limited, Chester and Delaware counties are receiving more of the vaccine shipments than most other counties in the state.
Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. There have been 543,329 doses of the vaccine administered as of Friday.