Coronavirus positivity rate declining
NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County residents appear to be reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the county, according to the latest scientific data.
The overall positivity rate, taking into account all county residents who were tested for the virus between March 13 and July 17, was 3.54 percent, according to the data.
“This is a good place to be. Having our positivity rate less than 5 percent indicates that we have pretty good control on this virus and that we are keeping it suppressed,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said during a Wednesday news briefing.
“It’s not going to go away. We’re not going to get to zero, I think, until we have a vaccine in our midst. But at this low level, it makes it much, much safer for our businesses to continue to stay open and hopefully, for our children to be able to go back to school this fall,” Arkoosh added.
To keep the positivity rate below 5 percent, Arkoosh stressed residents should continue to abide by all mask wearing and social distancing recommendations.
“Do not leave home without a mask, under any circumstances.
I don’t care where you’re going, even if you’re going for a walk around the block, please do not leave home without a mask or some kind of facial covering,” Arkoosh said.
Additional county data showed that as of July 17, the seven-day average for positive cases in the county was 26.7 cases and the 14-day average was 31.4 cases.
“These are both up slightly than they were a week ago. So we’ve been seeing a little bit of up and down in our numbers in the last few weeks, but nothing too substantial. We’re holding pretty steady,” Arkoosh said.
The July 10 seven-day average for positive cases was 25. The June 26 seven-day average was 35.9 cases.
The data regarding longterm care facilities is even more promising, officials said.
“I’m happy to tell you that we are averaging less than one long-term care facility case each day,” said Arkoosh.
Comparatively, on April 21, the 14-day average for positive cases in long-term care facilities was 64 and the seven-day average was 70. April 21 represented the peak of the outbreak in long-term care facilities in the county.
Meanwhile, county officials recorded 59 new positive cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 9,150 since March 7 when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county.
Officials stressed that some of the positive results reported on Wednesday were for tests conducted between June 7 and July 11, emphasizing that there has been a serious lag time between tests and the results.
The new positive individuals, including 31 females and 27 males, ranged in age from 1 to 91 and they resided in 25 municipalities, officials said. The gender of one of the positive individuals was unavailable.
No new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the county on Wednesday, leaving the county’s death toll at 817. To date, 437 females and 380 males have died from the virus in the county since the pandemic began in March.
On Wednesday, officials reported that 56 people were hospitalized in the county with COVID-19 and 12 of them required ventilators.
“This number has been fairly stable over the last week or so,” Arkoosh said.
Officials reported that since June 25, at the county jail in Lower Providence, eight individuals who were booked into the jail tested positive for COVID-19.
“These individuals contracted the coronavirus prior to entering the correctional facility. All are in isolation and currently stable,” Arkoosh said. “There is a strict protocol for all new commits and that involves keeping them separated from the general population within the correctional facility and testing them at the time they are committed. No one is allowed access to the general population until we have some certainty about their coronavirus status. At a minimum, all new commits are held in a separate area for 14 days.”
Officials stressed that testing is still available for all county residents who want or need to be tested. The county has established walk-up testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Ardmore and Green Lane to accommodate those who want to be tested.
The county-run sites provide testing at no cost, although insurance will be billed if you have it. The sites do require an appointment for testing.
In Pottstown, a testing site is located at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St. Testing is available by appointment Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
In Norristown, a testing site is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center at 1401 DeKalb St. Testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In Lansdale, a testing site is located at 421 Main St. and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
A testing site also is available at the county’s Willow Grove Office of Public Health at 102 Old York Rd. Testing is available there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Another testing site is located at Deep Creek and Snyder roads in the Green Lane Park area, where tests are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
In Ardmore, a testing site is located at 114 W. Lancaster Avenue where testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.
To register for a test at any of the six sites, residents can visit www.montcopa. org/COVID-19 and click on the county testing information button. Residents can also register for a test at any of the six sites by calling 610-970-2937.
That phone number as well as the online registration will open at 8:30 a.m. daily.
“This is a good place to be. Having our positivity rate less than 5 percent indicates that we have pretty good control on this virus and that we are keeping it suppressed,” - Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkoosh