Berks, Pa. see big downturns in new cases
Weekly report also reflects highest yet positivity rate for county
The weekly report from the state Department of Health showed another significant downturn in new COVID cases in Berks County and Pennsylvania.
The report covers the week ending with Thursday, which was Christmas Eve.
Berks was a minus 296 cases and the state a minus 10,321 as the peak in early December began to recede in a second week of declines. However, experts have warned of the potential for another uptick in cases following holiday gatherings.
For the report of the week ending Dec. 17, Berks was minus 87 and the state overall minus 4,371.
The COVID positivity rates for Berks and the state went in opposite directions at 19.1% and 15.1%, respectively, with the gap between Berks and the state averages widening. The Berks rate was a record for the county.
The rates in the report for the week ending Dec. 17 were 17.6% and 15.8%, respectively. The rate is a reflection of all positives versus all tests, including all the repeat testings.
The downturn in new cases has been previously evident in the seven- and 14-day new case averages, which have been on the decline.
Statewide, the latest weekly decline was more broad than in the Dec. 17 report. Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, York and Lancaster counties all had larger declines than Berks.
All of those counties have larger populations.
Even Lebanon County, where the fall outbreak had surged to a level higher than Berks, was minus 169 cases. Lebanon County has less than half the population of Berks.
The lone exception in the region was Schuylkill County, which increased by 29 cases. The Schuylkill population is about the same as Lebanon.
The health department issues the weekly numbers on Saturday but doesn’t comment on the report until Monday when the list of substantial-spread and high-positivity-rate counties are released.
Nearly all 67 counties have been on both lists for weeks.
A component included in the weekly report is the pandemic count in the state prison system.
The Department of Cor